The
table below lists "events at sea" occurring after January 1, 2012,
including cruise ship accidents. It is based on media reports,
passenger reports posted at on-line boards and discussion groups, and
reports sent to Cruise Junkie.
In
reviewing the information, please keep in mind that
some cruise lines are given less scrutiny by the media than others, and
it is not uncommon for events to not appear in the media. This
information reflects only that which has made it into the public
domain.

From a passenger:We were on the Ruby for Christmas Cruise. The areas that were to be adult only were never enforced. We were told that this is a “family” cruise so we cannot separate one family member from another. We suspend some f the rules for “holiday/family” cruising. Wish they had told us that when we booked our cruise. We received conflicting reports of what adults are. We were told by Jorge at the front desk that 18 yrs. is drinking age and an adult. Actually it is 21 yrs. old. We received different stories from every cruise staff person. We have sailed with Princess for 12+ years and each year during the Holidays is getting worse. So, of course, it is our choice to not go at this time of year. It is a shame that an adult, senior citizen cannot have one or two little areas on a ship for quiet time. And if you confront someone that this is an adult only area, they act as if you are the problem. No help from staff.

From a passenger (re: 29 November sailing): The ship sailed 5 hours late from Ft. Lauderdale. Passengers waited on collapsible wooden chairs in the crowded waiting room. No explanation was given as to why the ship was late. Word of mouth (from a passenger) had it that sandwiches and water were available but no announcement was made regarding this. We were finally called by numbers assigned to us to get in line to register and board. We waited in line for an hour instead of being seated on the uncomfortable chairs. No provision was made for the handicapped. The cabinets on the decks were not clean. Passengers with verandas said they were dirty. In many rooms air-conditioning and plumbing did not work. Other passengers told us the ship had been late coming out of drydock. We were notified peremptorily in a letter from the captain that the ship would not be making its scheduled stop in Bonaire but would be going to Aruba instead. No explanation was given. Other changes in itinerary were made. No explanation was given.

The Daily Mail reports on a couple who went on a cruise with the two pre-teen children and four relatives to celebrate a fiftieth birthday. Upon boarding the ship, the family realized the passenger list was dominated by a group of bikers. According to the newspaper, the bikers, who were on their annual ‘High Seas Rally’, could not have been much further removed from the usual cruise’s sedate complement of families and retired couples. They monopolised the swimming pool areas on board, holding rowdy competitions such as ‘belly smacker’ diving and a contest in which women judged topless men’s bodies by rubbing baby oil on them while blindfolded. One passenger complained of bikers wearing sexually explicit T-shirts, fighting, and even having sex in hot tubs, despite there being youngsters on board. Even on shore stops there was no escape and on one the ship was over two hours late leaving because hundreds of the bikers failed to return on time. The cruise line had given no warning to other families that the voyage would be mostly taken up by the bikers’ event. When the couple complained about not being warned, "we were given some ridiculous excuse blaming it on data protection. All they offered us was £150 in credits for a future trip. After the Daily Mail contacted Royal Caribbean, it increased its offer to a credit for the full value of the cruise for Mr and Mrs Empson and their children, to be used for a future booking.

Cruise Critic reports a 59-year-old passenger was forcibly disembarked on December 20 after he attacked another passenger who had a service dog with him. Cynthia Martinez, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman did confirm that a 59-year-old passenger "engaged in a physical altercation" with a 53-year-old man who had a service dog but did not comment on the cause of the altercation. Only the attacker was disembarked for being in violation of the line's guest conduct policy, which states "inappropriate or abusive behavior, including violence, is strictly prohibited." He was disembarked in St. John's, Antigua, the same day as the incident. At the time of the incident, Vision of the Seas was six days into a 10-night sailing that departed Port Everglades on December 14.

From a passenger: We are on the Queen Mary 2 which left NYC on Dec 19th. When it came to NY from Southampton there were people already ill. Currently there is a serious outbreak of the Norovirus with more 200 people stricken a new cases still being reported. We are on red alert (per the UK and CDC standards) and no matter what they do passengers are still getting sick. Officers and crew doing their best. Dec 28: CDC reports 194 of 2613passengers (7.42%) and 11 of 1255 crew (0.88%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemioligist will board the ship on arrival in Brooklyn on January 3 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. January 3: Numbers revised to 204 of 2613 passengers (7.81%) and 16 of 1255 crew (1.27%).

From a passenger: Decmber 10 13 day cruise Sydney-New Zealand return: Many people with Gastro illness (STARTED ON THIRD DAY). Cleaning on ship was stepped up during the voyage. My partner was quarantined for 24 hours. Both of us were sick during cruise. Now we have severe chest coughing - started on the nineth day of cruise. Captains club staff assured us that the Ship was going to have a high level of cleaning on 23rd December, 2012. Many people vomiting in public areas. Also most people on board were commenting upon how much illness was on board. On 20th December there was a ship wide announcement from the Cruise Director (Ian Cresswell that there has been an increased number of guests with gastrointestinal illness onboard and was reminding all guests to frequently and thoroughly wash hands.

From a passenger: Ship on Code Red on December 21: Noticeable last night with crew wiping down surfaces and at breakfast in the Horizon Court - not sure about the restaurants as we ate last night at the Crown Grille. Captain announced it just after 9am and the Doctor explained the procedures - standard stuff. No indication as to the # of ill passengers or crew, but it seems to have come on suddenly - from no signs of any abnormal concern Friday morning right to code red. This is a 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise (FLL, Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada (today), Dominica, St Thomas, Princess Cay, FLL), first one after dry dock in Nassau. WSVN News report more than 150 passengers and crew members caught the Norovirus aboard the ship. Crews will work to sanitize the ship once it docks at Port Everglades on Thursday. Sick passengers and crew were confined to their rooms to prevent outbreaks on the 10-day cruise.Dec 28:CDC Reports 189 of 3235 passengers (5.84%) and 31 of 1189 crew (2.61%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and an epidemioligist will board the ship on arrival in Fort Lauderdale on December 27 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities.

WFTV reports a cruise ship that left Port Canaveral Friday afternoon returned to the port after a young child was injured. The ship left port at 4:30 p.m. headed for the Bahamas. WFTV learned that a 1-year-old child crawled through an 11th floor railing and fell to a balcony one floor below. The ship immediately turned around and headed back to port. At 7:30 p.m. the child was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando. There was no word on the child's condition.

KTRK News reports a major outbreak of illness on a ship arriving in Galveston on Saturday. Officials say 102 passengers and crew got sick.The ship will undergo a comprehensive disinfection upon arrival into Galveston on Saturday.

Associated Press reports a 68-year-old cruise ship passenger has died while snorkeling in the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica today in Dominica. Criminal investigations director Cuffy Williams said the man complained about feeling sick while snorkeling at a nearby beach with his wife and other family members. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Police are investigating the cause of death.

From a passenger: Our ship docked in Nassau today. We were instructed to be back on the ship by 4:30pm and sail away at 5:00. As 4:30 rolled by, the names of three passengers were being called every 5 min ( I say they called them at least 4 times). Of course, no one showed up. As we pulled away from the pier, we noticed some people running toward us. The NCL Jewel was docked next to us so for a while we thought that they were on that ship. Turns out they were on the Magic with us! It was a family of three... They had a young child! After listening to them scream for help from our cove balcony, one of our neighbors called the pursuer desk and needless to say, they were stuck in Nassau until they could get a flight back to Houston to meet the ship on Sunday. I haven't heard anything since we have returned... I guess next time they need to watch the clock!!!

Orlando Sentinel reports testimony is under way in Orlando federal court in the case against a Casselberry man accused of gang raping a 15-year-old girl in the cabin of a Carnival cruise ship earlier this year. Casey Dickerson, 32, and his wife were passengers on board the Carnival Sensation, which departed from Port Canaveral on Aug. 16. Authorities said the couple were given a second cabin after complaining about an issue with the first room, but kept both cabins. The victim told the FBI she and another teenage friend went to Dickerson's cabin with several boys in the early hours of Aug. 19. There, authorities said, Dickerson and the boys held the girl down and took turns having sex with her. Bitter about Dwight Howard's departure? Click here for some payback! Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg told jurors during his opening statement Wednesday that Dickerson and the boys told each other to "switch" as they assaulted her. As the teenager was attacked, her friend was held in the bathroom by one of the boys, authorities said. The victim was treated on the cruise ship for injuries, authorities said. The boys told the FBI that Dickerson gave the victim and her teenage friend alcohol, and that the girl was so inebriated she could not resist the sexual attacks. Dickerson faces two charges, including statutory rape. Defense attorney F. Wesley "Buck" Blankner Jr. told jurors that Dickerson does not dispute he had sex with the 15-year-old. But the attorney said evidence will not indicate the sex was against the girl's will.

USA Today reports a galley hand who stabbed a supervisor earlier this year on a ship sailing out of the New York area has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison. U.S. District Judge William Martini today imposed the sentence on Donny Martin Crisanto, 31, of Nicaragua, during a court appearance in Newark, N.J., according to the local U.S. Attorney's Office. Cristano had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting the supervisor on May 4 while working in the galley of Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas.

From a passenger: A woman passenger fell off the pier while the Breeze was docked in St. Thomas. It was pouring rain and she evidently walked right off the pier and fell between the ship and the pier at midships. Her son went to the gangway to get help from security and they brought two rope ladders. She got up and climbed the ladder and was taken to the ships infirmary in a wheelchair. She appeared to have suffered cuts and bruises to her hand and head, and later someone said they had heard she had broken her arm.

The Sun reports passengers were last night threatening a mutiny after more than 150 were hit by the winter vomiting bug. Crew members taped off areas of the ship “like a crime scene” and the liner smelt of sick, according to trippers on board. At least 150 reported being ill — but travellers said the figure is more like 300. Angry passengers claim the captain has ignored their plight and blamed them for bringing the bug on board. They plan to confront the crew before they dock at Southampton tomorrow. Retired fireman Dave Stringer, 57, said he was charged £55 for an injection to ease symptoms. Dave, from Walsall, West Mids, said: “There might be a riot because the captain and crew just refuse to listen. “We’ll refuse to disembark unless we get some answers. This hasn’t been a holiday — it’s been a cruise to Hell.” Another British passenger said: “It is a scandal — misery on the high seas.” The liner set sail on December 4 for a tour of the Christmas markets of Zeebrugge, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo and Hamburg. But within hours the bug swept through the 1,843 passengers. Many travellers say the virus had hit the ship’s previous cruise and staff were suffering when they boarded. The Daily Mail reports the number ill is now 400 (December 13th), that passengers are being restricted to their cabins, and that they are being told if they get sick it is their own fault for not taking proper care to remain clean.

Econostrum reports the ship is in trouble in the Port of Marseille after hitting a dock at 8:15 am. It has been damaged above the waterline with a gap of nearly 8 meters long. According to a passenger, the ship docked at the rear and the maneuver was quite normal. The passengers did not feel any particular shock.(See the URL for the article for a picture) Econostrum subsequently reported that steel plates were welded over the gash (hole) and the ship would likely resume the cruise tonight. UPDATE FROM A PASSENGER:I was aboard when the buoy gave us a French kiss in Marseille on December 11. It was a buoy just outside the outer wall of the port, we experienced very strong and gusty winds and the buoy broke from its chains and pranged us quite nicely. Subsequently we had to stay in Marseille overnight - meant to leave at 6pm on the 11th, actually left at 1030am on the 12th following repairs and RINA inspections. We were due into Barcelona at 8am on the 12th, actually arriving at 7pm and left at 4am on the 13th which was a sea day anyway. Arrived an hour late in Palermo and stayed til 11pm instead of 2pm for more repairs, arrived a couple hours late in Civitavecchia and left at 11pm for Savona. Everyone on board received €150 per cabin for the inconvenience and free shuttles laid on in Marseille, Barcelona and Palermo for those wanting to escape for a while. Anyone needing to be in Barcelona early for flights etc were given the option to be bussed from Marseille at 4am on the 12th, they filled 3 buses, again free of charge. Pacifica will require drydocking just as soon as Carnival Corp give Costa the go ahead...she was very badly damaged internally on deck zero...crew offices and mess damaged and at least one bow thruster was affected too.

From a passenger: Ship missed the Falmouth port call on December 3 due to a medical emergency. Ship had to go off course to evacuate an injured passenger. Helicopter could not reach the ship so ship had to change course to meet helicopter. Blood donations were also needed from passengers to assist injured passenger. Winds were so high the helicopter could not land and passenger had to be airlifted by basket. Last word from Captain was passenger was rushed to surgery.

From a passenger: Ship lost all power 12 noon yesterday. Drifted aimlessly for 2 hours. Four hours late into Singapore this morning. Chaos with flights. Volendam is sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong.

Loss of power - adrift

December 10

MV Bellriva

Merco Press reports many passengers aboard the River Rhine cruise ship have fallen ill. Around 70 people complained of symptoms linked to the highly contagious Norovirus. Some of the more elderly affected passengers were taken off the ship to nearby hospitals in Wiesbaden while 183 people have been quarantined onboard.

The CDC reports 37 of 1019 passengers (3.63%) and 13 of 767 crew (1.69%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and an epidemioligist will board the ship on arrival in Miami on November 29 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 14 day cruise.

Brazilian press reports the entrepreneur Theobald Ferreira da Cruz, 52, died after suffering a fall in the early hours of Thursday (6). According to the company, the man fell from an upper floor, and when he was found by officials, was already dead. Cruz worked in the business and distributing goods wholesaler in the city of Ilheus, in southern Bahia. At the time of the accident, the ship sailed from Santos, in São Paulo coast, and Ilha Grande, in Rio de Janeiro. In a statement, MSC Cruises says the death of the passenger was seen by a doctor of the vessel, but the exact causes have not yet been identified.

Brazilian press reports a 23 year old passenger was hospitalized in serious condition after falling from the balcony of an ocean liner that was in the port of Itajai (SC). The accident occurred around 14h on Sunday. According to the municipal Tourism, Gabriel Moura Campos tried to take a picture when he slipped and fell from the 10th to the 8th floor of the ship. After the accident, the young man was rescued by the ship's medical staff and taken by ambulance to the port of Itajai Hospital Marieta Konder Bornhausen. He suffered head trauma and is in ICU.

The Daily Mail report the shipwith up to 450 passengers on board was prevented from leaving an Argentine port today in a protest over the Falkland Islands. The Seabourn Sojourn was blocked in by Argentine port workers who want to prevent the ship sailing to the disputed islands. The vessel was later allowed to leave the port at Buenos Aires following a delay of seven hours. Union leaders were demanding that the liner's captain pledges not to visit the Falklands before being allowed to set sail.

From a passenger: I was on Crown Princess on cruise from Venice (November 9, 2012) to Civitavecchia (Rome)(November 20, 2012). We docked on Monday November 12 at Katakolon (Olympia) two other ships were also there. Upon return from day tours our bus pulled into unloading area and I saw an elderly man laying on ground underneath another bus. Our bus parked and we unloaded. The man had apparently walked next to the other bus on its passenger side and was between the front right tire and the front bumper when the bus pulled forward in a right turn. The bus had knocked the man down and he hit his head causing it to bleed badly. Then before the driver stopped, the tire ran over the mans right leg. When the driver stopped the tire was on top of the mans left leg. People where running for help and the ambulance and rescue Tk finally arrived. The bus was jacked up and the man removed and placed in the ambulance. We heard the man was a passenger from the Queen Elizabeth.

The CDC reports 64of 791 passengers (8.1%) and 3 of 610 crew (0.49%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemioligist will board the ship on arrival in San Diego on December 5 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 24 day cruise. The ship will require a delayed debarkation on Wednesday. Embarkation will begin after 2PM. UPDATE Dec 7: The number ill is now 85 of 791 pax (10.275%) and 6 of 610 crew (0.98%)

Eyewitness News reports around 2,000 people are stranded on the ship at Cape Town harbour. The vessel was supposed to leave for Walvis Bay in Namibia on Wednesday, but remained stuck in the harbour due to strong winds. Making matters worse, all shops and casinos on the vessel are closed. Sinfonia passenger Fred Hofman said, “If they allowed the shops and casino to be open, we could function normally until Monday, but now we're stuck. In addition, immigration doesn't want to let us off the ship and the captain doesn't want to let the ship out of the harbour because of the wind.”

From a passenger: Informed of propulsion issues on way to Roatan Wed nite, with service tech enroute to try and repair. If repair fails, ship will skip Grand Cayman to return to Miami on Sunday. The repair was successful.

Muscat Daily reports the cruise ship was approached by suspected Somali pirates off Masirah Island on November 23. Confirming last week's incident, officials from Azamara Club Cruises said that several skiffs were seen moving towards the vessel off the coast of Oman. The ship's captain asked guests on board to move to the interior of the vessel, and security personnel on the vessel fired flares at the approaching craft, forcing them to abort their approach. The ship departed from Piraeus, Greece, on November 14 and arrived in Mumbai, India, on November 29. During the cruise, the vessel made port calls at Muscat and Fujairah in the UAE.

Associated Press reports the U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a Washington state man who has gone missing from a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad says two ships and a helicopter have been dispatched to search for the 42-year-old man, whose name has not been released. The man's wife reported him missing. The ship was traveling from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to the Bahamas when the man disappeared early Thursday. Holland America said in a statement that the ship turned around and has joined the search for the missing passenger. The ship left Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday for a seven-day cruise.

From a passenger: I was on the recent cruise Venice – Barcelona – Miami. There was a horrible and foul smell of rotten sewer in the Centrum of the ship during the entire cruise with ship’s crew unable to corrected or make any announcement of the cause. Several passengers and crew were affected! The passenger also reports there was an oil spill while docking at Cadiz’s Port on 11/15/12. The spill happened when the ship was helped to dock by tugs. The spot was on the mid starboard side of the ship, under lifeboat #7. The crew contained the oil with barriers and absorbent pads. The cleansing operation lasted until a few minutes prior sailing to Tenerife, last port of call of the Transatlantic voyage. Spain’s Guardia Civil (border patrol) was taking notes of the event.

The Daily Mail reports the two cruise ships cancelled scheduled stops at the islands last week, apparently as the result of the ransacking of the shipping agent’s office in Buenos Aires. Local agent Sulivan Shipping in Port Stanley tweeted: ‘The AIDAcara due to visit on December 3 has cancelled her visit due to the current political situation in Argentina. A huge blow for all involved, let’s hope this doesn’t continue throughout the season.’ A Holland America Line spokesman said last night: ‘Regarding our scheduled calls to the Falkland Islands, when the weather is good and predictable we go there, when it is not – which is most of the time – we don’t.’ AIDA Cruises in Germany could not be reached for comment.

Cruise Law News reports a fire erupted on the cruise ferry (ro-ro) off the coast of Greece earlier this week. On November 19th, a blaze started on the car deck of the Kriti II (built 1979) while the ferry approached Patras after sailing from Venice, Italy. There were around 113 passengers on board, plus a crew of 87. The vessel was brought into port with black smoke billowing from it, with cars and trucks aboard the vessel catching fire. No casualties or injures were reported. VesselTracker.com states that the ferry "suffered severe damage to its interior. The fire had been slowly burning already hours before the ship reached the port of Patras and it was purely a matter of luck that the open fire did not emerge on open sea where winds had been blowing . . . " The video shows firefighters trying to extinguish vehicles which were driven out of the ferry on fire.

Cruise Law News reports a passenger states that an engine room fire broke out ten days ago. According to a comment on the Cruise Critic message board, the incident occurred on November 13th while the Adventure of the Seas was making the crossing across the Atlantic. A fire on board caused the cruise ship to lose power and electricity for about two minutes. Alarms sounded intermittently. Some passengers smelled or observed smoke. Later, some passengers were later told that a "power surge" caused an engine fire while others said the captain mentioned switching over to a second set of engines. Apparently no one was injured and the ship continued on its way.

New Zealand media reports crew members are battling a suspected norovirus outbreak among passengers. An unofficial Royal Caribbean blog website, written by supporters of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, reported about 135 passengers became sick during an 18-day cruise of Australia and New Zealand which ended in Sydney last Thursday night. The ship's captain was guarded when asked for comment about the health problems on board ship while at sea last Thursday. ''I do not want to talk about that. We are following the procedures when it comes to that," he said.

Cruise Critic reports a national strike in Argentina left passengers stranded and delayed departures for ships in Ushuaia. The beginning of the Antarctica cruise season was delayed for a day on Tuesday (Nov. 20) when a nationwide strike affected operations at the departure port for Antarctic cruises. The Akademik Ioffe docked in the early hours of the morning despite a lack of workers on the pier. Akademik Sergey Vavilov passengers had to wait until after midnight for the strike to finish and for the ships to depart. A small number of Australian, Canadian and European passengers were unable to fly home due to cancelled flights, while others stayed in hotels in Ushuaia for the night.

Delayed by strike

November 22

Unknown

Caribarena reports a brawl occurred between two passengers of a cruise vessel that docked at Heritage Quay (Antigua) just after 7am on Wednesday morning. Among the passengers onboard were a couple - thought to be in either their late 30s or early 40s - who became involved in a fight that resulted in the female sustaining bruises to her body. The alleged offender was said to have been drinking prior to the incident. The matter was reported to the police, who conducted investigations. Officials of the Cruise Tourism Association and Department of Tourism were also notified. The injured woman was treated by medics aboard the cruise ship, and up to Wednesday evening no arrests in connection with that incident had been made.

Cruise Ind reports Estonian news outlet ERR is reporting that a two passengers witnessed a man falling overboard into the Gulf of Finland. Authorities were called and after 45 minutes, a helicopter spotted the man treading water. He was transported back to the vessel.

Orlando Sentinel reports two passengers were killed when the buggy they were riding in collided with a guardrail in a secluded part of Cozumel Saturday afternoon. Their friends, driver Wagner Ferreira and his wife, Liz, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. The gregarious Orlando couple who were known for their philanthropic work with many Central Florida charities died at the scene. They were part of a group of about 28 friends who set off Saturday afternoon in a caravan of sand buggies to enjoy a six-hour tour that included lunch and swimming on a private beach in Cozumel.

Cruise Law News reports a number of people have contacted us, including one passenger "Nancy" from Australia, complaining about a recent, major norovirus outbreak on the Voyager of the Seas. She writes: "The Voyager of Seas has relocated to Asia Pacific region husband and I sailed on the relocation cruise from Singapore 22nd Oct 2012 to Fremantle Australia. There was Norovirus outbreak around 800 passengers affected undetermined number with chest infection, one Norovirus victim airlifted . . . The ships doctor was swamped with sick passengers couldn't cope turned people away untreated. Cabins were sanitized once during the 14 night cruise and measures taken to fight the infection cabins sanitized as we left the ship ,very hard to fight when there are 3000+ people in one place." There are estimates that12% of passengers have fallen ill.

Cruise Ind reports that while participating in an emergency life raft drill, 20 crew members suffered broken bones, burns and sprained ankles as they descended down a chute to their raft. Modern ferries have chutes for easily descending to water level. Finnish media are stating that the drill was halted not after the injures were first reported, but later when “when Eckero staff refused to follow their colleagues down the chute.” The 2001 built Finlandia was recently acquired from Moby likes by Eckero Line.

Cruise Business Review Online reports the ship will miss a port of call on its current Trans-Atlantic positioning voyage due to a technical problem, passengers have been informed. The ship is on its way from Barcelona to Florida and it called at Malaga yesterday. However, a planned called at Tenerife will be omitted and the ship will proceed directly to the US, according to Teijo Niemela, editor of Cruise Business Online, who is travelling on the ship. The ship had experienced problems on its previous cruise, he said. The passengers have been told that the problems do not compromise the safety of maneouvrability of the vessel that was delivered from Meyer Werft in Germany earlier this autumn.

Bay of Plenty Times reports police are investigating a complaint from the passenger that she was indecently assaulted several days ago while the ship was at sea. The ship, which had sailed from Fiji, berthed in Tauranga at 5.12am yesterday and was due to sail on to Auckland at 4.15pm last night, before heading back to Sydney at the end of its journey. The passenger, in her late 40s early 50s, alleges she was indecently assaulted while the ship was in the Fiji region. The woman subsequently alerted the ship's captain and police were then informed, and a team of Tauranga police began their investigation when the ship docked in Tauranga. UPDATE: The newspaper reports no charges will be filed in the incident because police determined that was insufficient evidence to support prosecution.

The Bermuda Sun reports the ship has cancelled her planned trip to Bermuda this week. The liner was scheduled to come into Hamilton tomorrow for a day’s stay before heading off to Miami. But the ship’s owners have made the decision to extend her period in dry dock over in Europe.

Cruise Fever reports the ship has developed engine trouble canceling the current cruise. According to the captain’s blog, the ship began having technical difficulties that will require several days to make repairs. The remainder of the current cruise has been canceled so repairs can be made to the ship. A team from the head office had flown to the ship to oversee the safe return of the passengers on board. All passengers on the ship will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, as well as a sincere apology from the cruise line. On Sunday afternoon, Saga reported that all passengers were off the ship by Saturday. Most passengers choose to fly home, while a few decided to travel back to the UK and will be arriving on Monday. The next scheduled cruise for the Saga Ruby is an 8 day Advent cruise and is scheduled to depart on time out of Southhampton on December 6, 2012.

From a passenger: We recently returned on Oct 26th. 2012. I just wanted to alert future cruisers that be careful when doing business with Park West auctions. We were repeatedly told by the auctioneer that the price bid was the full price and included shipping, framing etc. I did sign the invoice after the auction, but when I got home I found that they had added $119.00 shipping and $35.00 appraisal fee. I contacted them on Oct 27th when I got home and they have never acknowledged my complaint. I think this was misleading and thought you should know. UPDATE: The passenger writes: "I would like to report that they have called me and made a full refund of the amount mistakenly added to our bid on their art work. I want to thank them for their response and refund." One has to wonder whether the public visibility on this web site had any impact on the outcome.

The Daily Mirror reports the ship has been instructed to improve its safety training procedures, following an investigation into an incident which led to two crewmen falling overboard during a lifeboat drill. The men plunged 22 metres (72 feet) into the water from Saga Sapphire, when it was berthed at Southampton in March. The ship had just arrived in the UK after a lengthy refit, and was about to set off on a delayed maiden voyage. No passengers were on board at the time of the accident. Both crewmen were safely rescued, and suffered only minor injuries. An inquiry by the Marine Accident Investigation Board discovered that neither man - one of them a cook on his first posting to the ship - were wearing safety harnesses when they slipped from the roof of the ship's No. 5 lifeboat. One of them, a cook on his first posting to a ship, had not received any training for his specific role, which he was undertaking for the first time. The report also found that "training oversight was inadequate, no one took responsibility for lifeboat training and the ship's safety management organisation was improperly prepared for its operational role." In its conclusions, the MAIB says "commercial pressure impacted on the ship's management team's focus on preparing the vessel for its operational role" and highlights the cook's "lack of experience and inadequate understanding of his lifeboat crew duties."

From a passenger: My wife and I cruised from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego October 8 to October 23, 2012, stateroom 2190. We had a health issue with a strong mildew/black mold odor during the whole cruise. We complained the first day and then again 2 - 3 days later, repeatedly afterward. The initial response by the room stewards was to do a lot of cleaning of the bathroom, but this did not help, and in fact, there never was much visible evidence of black mold in the bathroom. The odor was coming from the gray water drains to the lavatory sink and to the shower; and the cleaning of the bathroom did nothing to get rid of a problem in the sewers. We, in the first few days, discovered that the odor was only in the bathroom, and apparently the bathroom was under negative pressure; therefore, we could get away from the problem in the sleeping area by keeping the bathroom door closed, which is how we survived during the cruise. Late in the cruise, we attempted to block the shower drain with a wet wash cloth. This did not work well, but we did notice that after the wash cloth had been blocking the drain for several hours, that it smelled strongly on its lower side of black mold. Obviously, it was picking up black mold from the air coming from the drain. Response of the ship's staff was not very helpful. The room stewards did try unsuccessfully to clean, but that was not useful. On the 4th day we contacted the customer service desk and as a result a Greek officer then visited our room. However, nothing good happened because of his visit, and we did not attempt to contact him again because of his inability to speak English. On a later contact with the same female customer service rep, on our 12th day on board, we were offered a switch to another stateroom, however it was a downgrade and as we had learned how to deal better with the problem, we did not take the offer. We also had contact by the first service representative's boss near the end of the and cruise and were given a $200 credit toward our next Celebrity cruise. Both my wife and I had problems with coughing while we were on board, and we are still having difficulty, now two weeks later.

The Western Australian reports the company had been put into voluntary administration, its Australian summer season clearly in tatters. The company had planned to use another ship (Delphin) after its ships was seized for unpaid debts (see September 18 below), but it is believed the owners of Delphin then said they couldn't get the ship here for Christmas. What's more, it looked unlikely for the new year. CIC Australia managing director Grant Hunter says that by putting the Australian company into voluntary administration, its money would be isolated from the European owners' financial problems. He said this had "ringlocked" the money of the 6000 people who had booked for the Australian season. As CIC cruises can only be booked through travel agents, customers are also covered under the Travel Compensation Fund. Mr Hunter said the decision to go into voluntary administration would also give time to look for another suitable ship.

Season canceled

November 3

Unnamed

The Australian reports afire probably caused by a short-circuit aboard an Egyptian cruise ship forced 77 tourists to be evacuated until the blaze was put out, state-run news agency MENA reported, adding that no one was hurt. The fire broke out at near the stern of the Nile cruise ship between the pharaonic hub of Luxor and the town of Esna, also home to archaeological sites, in southern Egypt. MENA said that some of the 77 tourists refused to re-embark after the fire was extinguished. It did not give the nationalities of those on board.

The Daily Mail reports the passenger ferry is listing along a dock in Marseille after being wrenched from her moorings by 60mph winds that battered France's southern coast on October 28th. It rotated before crashing into the wharf after some dozen ropes snapped in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to reports today. The impact ripped a 30-metre long hole in the rear of the boat below the waterline, according to owners Nationale Corse Méditerranée (SNCM).
Water poured into two watertight compartments and the ship's keel now 'seems to rest on the bottom,' a SNCM spokesman told Metro France. No one was hurt in the incident as the ferry is currently out of service for the winter.
The ship can carry 2,650 passengers and 708 vehicles. NOTE: See pics at the Daily Mail.

From a passenger: Just back from 28/10/2012 to 3/11/2012 Civitavecchia to Barcelona. Winds of 130km/h stopped tendering Villa France so ship bobbed at sea for an extra day.

Missed port call

November 1

Unknown

Virgin Islands Daily News reports police on St. Thomas are trying to return a $1,000 diamond ring to its rightful owner after a cruise ship passenger mistakenly walked out of a store with the ring on her finger. The passenger told police she visited about 50 stores in Havensight and downtown Charlotte Amalie on Wednesday, trying on clothes and jewelry, according to a press release from V.I. Police spokeswoman Melody Rames. In one of the stores - the passenger said she did not remember which one - the woman tried on a gold and diamond ring and walked out of the store, according to Rames. Once she realized the ring was still on her finger, the woman found a police officer and handed her the ring. Police are asking the owners and employees of Havensight and downtown stores to call 715-5548 if they are missing a gold and diamond ring. Callers will be asked a series of questions to determine that the ring belongs to them and will be required to sign a release before taking possession of the ring.

Otago Daily Times reports the ship will not dock at Port Chalmers today, as scheduled, and no reason has been given. Notice of the cancellation was sent to the Dunedin City Council's economic development unit and other industry professionals yesterday morning. Sophie Barker, the unit's business development adviser for the visitor industry, said at least the cancellation was not last-minute and gave fair warning to those who catered to cruise passengers and crew. "It's disappointing but we are glad the notice came through early. Hopefully, there won't be any more cancellations," she said. Dunedin has missed out on two of the first four cruise ship visits scheduled this season. Sea Princess' visit on October 14 was cancelled after passengers were stranded on land at Akaroa. Sun Princess was due to head for Port Chalmers and Fiordland from Akaroa, but instead would go north to the Bay of Islands then to Sydney, Australia.

Canceled port call

November 1

Unknown

San Francisco Chronicle reports the owner of a Los Angeles employment agency was indicted Thursday on immigration fraud charges that allege she filed more than 100 false work visa petitions on behalf of illegal immigrants who wanted to remain in the United States.
Lilia Tabafunda, 57, was charged with nine counts of visa fraud and one count of perjury. She was arrested Oct. 15 as she tried to board a cruise ship headed for Mexico. If convicted, she faces up to 95 years in prison.

From a passenger: i just wanted to let you know that on the 27th and 28th october 2012 we were on the island escape on the saturday night the power all went off and the ship was drifting at sea, you could hardly walk and people had there mobile phones out to try n see where there were going and everyone was being sick everywhere. if that wasnt bad enough on the sunday night it felt like the ship was about to tip over all our things on the dressing table fell off n landed in a corner of the room some people were saying there bed moved to the other side of the room its was terryifying .the captain didnt even reasure us that we were safe ill never go on a cruise again.

From a passenger: I just wanted to let you know what had happened with the Explorer of the Seas trip headed to Bermuda which DID LEAVE OCTOBER 28 , while preperations were being made here in New Jersey for hurricane Sandy....i was booked on that voyage and watched Rccl's web site for updates three days prior to our sail. Everyday they gave updates at 10 am and 6 pm.... The night before our cruise, the Governor of the State of New Jersey ordered a STATE OF EMERGENCY. Royal Caribbean was suppose to post and update on October 28th at 10 am...... They did not.... i called the Miami office and was told they still do not know where the ship was headed and that was up to the Captain when the sail was to begin at 4 pm...I was told the ship will sail regardless of the weather reports of 20 to 30 foot waves and RCCL would not issue any type of credit to passengers that did not get onboard.. The Jewel of the Seas was to leave Boston the same day.... October 28.. They postponed that cruise till Tues or Wed.. passengers were told to report for the cruise on their sail date, but the ship will remain in port.. docked. The passengers will spend several nights docked before they head out... What makes this strange? New York harbor is closer to the storm than Boston; the Jewel of the Seas waits, but RCCL sent the Explorer into dangerous waters! Yesterday the Weather Channel was stationed in Liberty State park... Jim Cantorie was the reporter and he did mention HOW IN THE WORLD would a cruise line send a ship out in the ocean with 20, 30 foot waves!" CRAZY" he shook his head. I just feel RCCL made a terrible decision to sail on October 28, they should have postponed the cruise( shortened) till the weather improves... So as of right now, I and many other cruisers who worried about their safety and the safety of their homes are out ALOT of money. UPDATE: My friend and his wife decided to cruise October 28th, i spoke with them today, after they arrived home yesterday to 4 feet of water in their basement. When they headed out into the ocean, they did indeed encounter rough seas with 20, 30 foot waves. I was told the ship listed for a period of time with glass breaking in the stores on the Royal Promenade, the jewelry and liquor stores suffered damage. Several glass panels on the outside decks did fall into the sea. The Windjammer cafe on the top floor was closed at least 36 hours, due to all the windows surrounding the area. Pools were closed, and the outside decks were off limits for two days. Many crew members and passengers had to report to medical due to sea sickness.... They finally did make it to Bermuda, but my friend said many of the passengers nerves were frayed by then.

Sailing into the storm

Octiober 29

HMS Bounty

The Washington Post reports the Coast Guard is searching for two people off the coast of North Carolina who had been passengers aboard the tall ship HMS Bounty, which lost power in Hurricane Sandy and sank after 14 other passengers were rescued. The Coast Guard added that the two missing people were attempting to flee the ship and board the lifeboats when a huge wave hurled them into the water. A third person, a man, was also thrown into the sea, but other survivors in the lifeboats were able to pull him in. The HMS Bounty, a three-masted sailing ship that has appeared in two Hollywood movies, was reportedly sailing from Connecticut to St. Petersburg, Fla., when it began taking on too much water and lost propulsion Sunday night. The ship sent an emergency distress signal to the Coast Guard at about 9 p.m. Sunday. About two hours later, the HMS Bounty Organization, which owns the ship, called the Coast Guard, confirming that it had lost radio contact with the vessel, according to the Coast Guard. By 2 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard had dispatched a C-130 aircraft to the scene to communicate directly with the ship’s passengers. At 6:30 a.m Monday, the first Jayhawk helicopter arrived, and found that the passengers had abandoned the ship and boarded 25-foot lifeboats. The Coast Guard said the passengers wore cold-water survival suits and life jackets and that the lifeboats had canopies.

Sunk

October 28

Multiple ships

See here for cruises canceled and ports closed because of Hurricane Sandy.

Storm related delays

October 28

Multiple ships

While Hurricane Sandy wreaks havoc with cruise itineraries in North America, the port of Venice was closed today because of galke force winds. Costa Favolosa, MSC Musica and Zenith Pullmantur were waiting for opening. Musica and Zenith with Beaufort scale 8/9 in the late morning headed for Ravenna Harbour, while Favolosa was waiting for improved weather conditions. At 8.00 p.m. Favolosa was authorized for entrance in the lagoon, more than 11 hours late. From an embarking passenger on Costa Favolosa: vWe sat for 12 hours on the dock. The ship was delayed into port for reasons never explained. In fact what few Costa staff present were hostile. No food or water until we were there 9 hours. We boarded at 3 am and I'm now back up after 3.5 hours sleep. At 3 am, in Venice, there was a fleet of buses waiting to whisk away the returning passengers. When I turned on the tv to current status, it showed the ship going around in circles in the ocean outside Venice immediately before coming into port about 1 am. So something happened and Costa is being very tight lipped. Lots of folks sitting around us left port and have not seen them on board. First port is Bari, It, originally at about noon to 4. It is now scheduled for 8 pm to 10 pm. Why bother?

From a passenger: The ship has seen a 15 percent GI outbreak in guests and 3.5 percent of crew. The ship is sailing in the South Pacific so data will not be reported to the CDC. The Fiji Broadcast Corporation reports the ship was initially quarantined during its port call at Denarau, Nadi.

From a reader: It has been reported that 4.5 percent guests and 3.5 percent crew have reported GI illness. The ship is sailing in the South Pacific so data will not be reported to the CDC. Update November 1: The percentage reporting ill is now 15% of passengers and 6% of crew. BBC reports the ship arrived in Southampton at 06:00 GMT at the end of a 12-night cruise. Southampton's Port Health Authority said about 350 passengers had fallen ill with the vomiting and diarrhoea bug. Its departure was delayed until 20:00 while deep cleaning took place.

Illness Outbreak

October 28

Unknown

YNet News reports a body found Friday off the Mediterranean Sea in the Sinai Peninsula may belong to a 43-year-old Hadera resident, who went missing on a cruise three weeks ago, police believe. Police are waiting for the results of the autopsy and for a final identification in order to determine the cause of death. Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm reported over the weekend that the man had been shot. The man, a taxi driver, went on a leisure cruise to Cyprus three weeks ago, but did not get off the ship after its return to Israel. His belongings remained on board. Following his absence, a complaint was filed wth the Haifa Police. The police launched an investigation into the incident after learning of the man's disappearance, collecting testimonies from the ship's crew and other passengers and checking security cameras. The man was reportedly seen in the ship's bar and pool area a day before the ship docked at Haifa Port. The body was discovered by Egyptian authorities and was transferred to Israel on Friday. It was taken to Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where the circumstances of death are being examined. Police officials said there was a chance that the man had fallen off the ship and drowned and his body had been swept to the Sinai beach.
"He went on a cruise and never came back. The police are investigating the issue," a family relative told Ynet. Here is additional information from the Jerusalem Post. The Times of Israel subsequently reported the man did not die as a result of a gunshot wound.

Cruise Law News reports an Italian newsaper is reporting that a U.S. passenger became sick with meningitis and was taken ashore for medical treatment once the ship arrived at the port of Messina. The passenger was taken from the cruise ship to a hospital in Gaeta. However, no other passengers were allowed to disembark - apparently out of concern that they may also be sick and infect people ashore. The newspaper account states that the passengers were given prophylactic medications but must wait at least 48 hours to avoid others from being infected. UPDATE: I received a report that the Italian Health Ministry announced today that the affected guest tested negative for meningitis.

The CDC reports 150 of 2971 passengers (5.05%) and 14 of 1177 crew (1.19%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and an epidemioligist will board the ship on arrival in Fort Lauderdale on Octoiber 28, 2012 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 19 day cruise.

Cruise Critic reports the ship failed its health inspction. Flies, a heavily "soiled" microwave and refrigerator, dirty pans, higher-than-required storage temperatures and 34 other violations earned Grand Caribe a score of 81. An 86 is the minimum passing score. In its report, CDC inspectors documented observing "several live house flies" flying in the galley and landing on food preparation surfaces and equipment. Inspectors also reported the inside of the microwave and the reach-in refrigerator were soiled with old food residue. The bottom corners and sides of the refrigerator, in particular, were the most notably soiled. The report also cited several hotel pans, which having been previously cleaned and sanitized, were still soiled with leftover food residue. Additionally, there were previously cleaned pots and pans stored on shelves that were soiled with dirty, old food residue and other debris. Inspectors also found air temperatures were not adequately monitored, resulting in instances of temperatures exceeding the required holding temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit – as high as 47 degrees.

Cruise Critic reports the ship was delayed some 24 hours after a propulsion malfunction required significant repairs. The ship, scheduled to depart Montreal on the evening of October 22, eventually departed at 6 p.m. October 23. The delay forced the ship to skip its scheduled call in Quebec City.

Associated Press reports the U.S. Coast Guard has issued a fine over the ship's grounding on Aug. 25. An investigation determined the crewmember operating the ship at the time "made serious errors in judgment due to his lack in waterway familiarization and understanding." It says he also lacked the proper certification for the waters in question. The Coast Guard says it fined Miami-based V Ships Leisure USA $3,000.

From a passenger: During the cruise from October 12 to 22nd from Quebec City to St-Pierre and Miquelon we heard before departing from Quebec City from the captain that there had been a “flat tire” and that we would leave as soon as repaired. Before leaving Sydney (Nova-Scotia) the captain announced on that we would leave as soon as the anchor which was lost at arrival would be recovered. Finally, a pipe broke or something during the night of October 20th because at around 2 AM we heard a noise in the hall on deck 8 and saw two employees using a “shop vac” sweeping water from the floor. The next morning the carpet was all wet and that installed a air dryer until the end of the cruise. From another passenger: I have just returned from the same cruise. Though we have been on several cruises, we are by no means cheerleaders for the industry. The comments made by the Captain and reported on your site were nothing but jokes that he made every day as he welcomed us back on board. For example, on another day, he said that we will get going as soon as he could find the keys to start the engine. Another joke was that he was looking for the reverse gear in order to back out the ship.

From a passenger: A female either jumped or fell overboard last night, she was rescued. Ship is making an unscheduled stop in Key West today to drop her off. WSVN News confirmed the report -- the woman is 29 year old and jumped off the ship near the Bahamas. She is now getting treatment at a Key West hospital.

From a reader: The ship has made an unscheduled stop in San Diego (Hawaii Circle cruise starting in Vancouver), reportedly because of mechanical problems and/or flooding aboard. The situation is unclear, however there are some reports on Cruise Critic that may give insight.

Cruise Critic reports an electrical outage early Friday morning delayed the ship's return to its New York homeport by several hours. Oceania spokeswoman Susan Robison said backup generators allowed the vessel to operate normally, but U.S. Coast Guard protocol required the ship to wait for an escort to port, which resulted in a late arrival. Due to the delay, the ship arrived in New York around noon. Embarkation for the subsequent sailing, a 14-night Autumn Vista voyage, will also be delayed until Friday afternoon. Passengers booked on the upcoming sailing are currently being notified. "At this time we are not anticipating any additional issues," Robison said, when asked whether the delay would impact the next voyage. "We expect to arrive in our first port of call, Newport, as scheduled."

From a reader: Reports are coming in that the ship has been seriously damaged during a recent Bay of Biscay crossing. The ship, currently on her way back to Southampton, hit bad weather last night whilst sailing through the notorious stretch of water and a rather large crack has now appeared in one of her higher decks. The gap seems to be at least 2 inches wide and passengers onboard say it runs the entire length of the deck with damage to the window pane on the deck below and the frame seeming out of place. Those onboard have stated the crack runs both vertically and horizontally. Passengers say the area has been sectioned off and passengers with balcony cabins on deck 14 have been told not to use their balconies. The damage seems to be around a weld however and not a weld directly. See photos here.BBC reports Repairs are being made in Southampton. Passengers described the crack on board P&O's Ventura cruise ship as three inches (60mm) wide, stretching the entire width of the aluminium deck. The company said an inspector from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is on board and the crack raised no structural strength or safety concerns.

The Sun-Sentinel reports two crew members were arrested and accused of smuggling cocaine when their cruise ship docked at Port Everglades on Sunday. Winston Hyman and Jimmel Thom, both 25, were stopped during a routine crew inspection as they attempted to disembark at about 2 p.m. The cruise ship had just returned from scheduled stops in Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico, according to Special Agent Shawn Stone with the Department of Homeland Security's investigation division. Hyman put a backpack into the X-ray scanner and inspectors noticed something. Hyman removed his laptop computer and wallet from the backpack and Thom took out his computer tablet. Both told security agents the backpack did not belong to them, according to the investigative report. Broward Sheriff's Office deputies and Customs and Border Protection officers were called in to inspect the backpack. A police dog alerted to something in the backpack which was then field-tested. The substance inside tested positive for cocaine, the report stated. Hyman and Thom were detained. During questioning, Thom said he knew there was cocaine in the backpack. He told detectives that he and Hyman had received the backpack from a man in Falmouth, Jamaica. Thom knew the man had previously worked aboard the Allure and had approached Thom to smuggle narcotics a week earlier. Thom said he had helped the man sneak drugs on and off the Allure before and that he would be paid $2,000 and Hyman would get $1,000 from the Fort Lauderdale recipient of this shipment, the report stated. Hyman told agents a different story, denying any knowledge of the drug trafficking. During questioning, he said Thom came to his cabin before disembarking the ship and told Hyman to carry the backpack because Hyman has put his laptop inside, making it heavier. Thom told security agents the backpack had belonged to a friend, according to the investigation. Both face charges of trafficking more than a kilo of cocaine, agents said.

Radio New Zealand reports many of the 700 passengers were left stranded ashore by bad weather on Saturday. They had to stay in local homes after the weather prevented them from being ferried back to the ship on Saturday afternoon. Better weather on Sunday allowed the passengers to return to the ship which was anchored in Akaroa Harbour; the ship then departed for Sydney. Carnival Cruises spokesperson David Jones says the company will investigate why people went ashore when the forecast was for bad conditions. He says the passengers were grateful for the kindness of residents who took them in when hotels in Akaroa and Christchurch could not accommodate the numbers.

Cruise Law News reports a crew member disappeared from the ship earlier this morning. The Adnkronos newspaper in Rome reports the ship was sailing from Mykonos to Salermo. Upon arrival, it was discovered that a cabin steward was missing. The newspaper mentions that the last CCTV image of the crew member on the cruise ship was around 1:00 AM and shows the employee walking through a door. There apparently are no images of the crew member going overboard. The crew member is reportedly from the Philippines. The newspaper states that a search was conducted by five Coast Guard patrol boats and two aircraft.

Crew member missing

October 12

Multiple ships

The St. John Source reports three tourists to St. Thomas from New York were sentenced to as much as three months in prison each for defrauding three cruise lines of more than $78,000 in merchandise and services. New York residents Sam Gross, 25, Joseph Herskovitz, 27, and Jacob Eisenberger, 29, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez. Gomez sentenced Gross to serve three months in prison and three months of home confinement, and ordered him to pay $36,283.91 in restitution. He sentenced Herskovitz to serve two months in prison and three months of home confinement, and ordered him to pay $19,005.97 in restitution. Eisenberger was sentenced to serve 15 days in prison and two months of home confinement, and ordered to pay $1,860.08 in restitution. Gomez also sentenced all three men to serve three years of supervised release. On June 27, Eisenberger and Herskovitz pleaded guilty to using access devices to defraud the cruise lines, and Gross pleaded guilty to conspiring to use access devices to defraud the cruise lines. According to court documents, in January the men bought passage aboard the cruise ship Majesty of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and purchased merchandise from the ship using a ship-issued charge card. Passengers are permitted to use the ship-issued card to make purchases while on board the ship, and are required to pay for all of their purchases at the end of the cruise before leaving the ship. After charging for goods and services on the ship, the men abandoned the cruise after one day without paying for the goods and services. Court records also showed that on Feb. 3, Eisenberger and Herskovitz defrauded the Carnival Cruise Line when they abandoned the cruise ship, Carnival Destiny, without paying for their purchases on board the ship. Two weeks later, Herskovitz and Eisenberger defrauded the Princess Cruise Line, when they boarded the cruise ship Dawn Princess, charged merchandise using the ship-issued charge card, then abandoned the ship without paying for the charged items, the court found. The sentencing for Natfuly Weiss, the fourth defendant charged in the indictment with the three men, is scheduled for Dec. 13.

Jail for defrauding cruise ships

October 11

Multiple ships

CBC reports three ships skipped their port call at Charlottetown because of high winds. The Cape Breton Post reports two ships skipped their call at Sydney because of the same weather system.

The Florida Times-Union reports a 46 year old \woman who falsely claimed there was a bomb on the ship was sentenced this week to 12 months in federal prison. She pleaded guilty in July to federal charges of providing false information involving a bomb report to law enforcement. According to court documents, Wilson called the sheriff's office in Jacksonville on May 10, 2010 to report the presence of a female terrorist carrying a bomb on a cruise ship sailing toward Jacksonville's port. She claimed the terrorist intended to explode the bomb prior to the cruise ship reaching the port. The threat prompted a ship-wide search of the ship. No explosives were found.

CBC reports Halifax Regional Police are asking for the public's help in locating a 70-year-old U.S. citizen who may have walked off a visiting cruise ship in the Maritimes. Sarah Tessier Powell was last seen Sept. 30 on the ship, as it sailed from Quebec City to Charlottetown. The ship's next stops were scheduled in Charlottetown on Oct. 2, Sydney on Oct. 3 and Halifax on Oct. 4. Police said they do not suspect foul play in Powell's disappearance and think she may have walked off the ship without being checked by security. It's not clear where Powell may have disembarked (or whether she disembarked). The Louisiana woman was travelling alone, which is part of the reason it took so long for her disappearance to be noticed, said police.

ANSAmed reports four crew members are in hospital, including one who is fighting for his life, following an outbreak of bacterial meningitis. The four were admitted to hospital in the Tuscan port of Livorno on Sunday at the end of a cruise. A 32-year-old Indonesian crew member is the most ill of the four. He is in the intensive care department of Livorno hospital as is another man who is seriously ill, a 47-year-old Italian who worked in the kitchen of the ship. The two other crew members are in the hospital's infectious diseases department. The ship left Livorno to start another cruise late on Sunday. MSC Cruises said that ‘as a precaution and in agreement with the local maritime authorities, all the passengers on board were treated with antibiotics.’ Crew were also treated. UPDATE:AFP reports an Indonesian cruise ship crew member died of meningitis, nine days after being hospitalised with three colleagues in the western Italian port city of Livorno, health sources said. Ermandiasa I Gede, 32, died Tuesday despite intensive attempts to save him since he was hospitalised on October 7. According to the company, a 47-year-old Italian cook from the ship was still on life support but his condition had "improved markedly" in recent days.

On Friday this past week an announcement was made around noontime that there was to be a medical airlift of a crew member from the Carnival Dream near the AFT pool area and that people needed to leave the area for their safety. What was observed by many though (not by myself though as the actual evac site was out of my line of vision) was that not one but TWO people were airlifted. Much gossip was had as to the medical condition of the people. It was reported to me by a second party who was with her aunt in the infirmary at the same time was that one crew member had suffered smoke inhalation and the other crew member was wrapped up from burns. Fire?? No other mention or explanation was made to the guests.

?Crew members injured?

October 7

Unnamed

Bahrain News Agency reports the captain of a Greek cruise ship was killed and five foreign tourists wounded last night as a result of an explosion on board. Greek media reported that the accidental explosion occurred in a small cannon on board the ship as it had been anchored at the entrance of Mandrake Harbor off the Greek Island of Cuss after returning from a trip. The accident resulted in the demise of the ship's 51-year-old captain. The Greek News Agency pointed out that five foreign tourists were injured, however, their condition was not serious and that they were rushed to hospital. According to the same source, the Greek Ports Authority began investigation regarding the cause and whereabouts of the explosion. The passenger ship had 28 passengers on board including German, Belgian, Dutch and two Greek passengers.

WGME-TV reports no one was hurt when a boat carrying 93 cruise ship passengers ran aground off Bar Harbor, Maine. Harbor Master Charles Phippen said the boat, a tender, was transporting passengers from Bar Harbor back to the ship when it hit a rocky shoal and became stuck. It happened Thursday night at low tide in rainy weather. Phippen tells WZON-AM that a fishing boat and a high-speed whale watch vessel, the Bay King III, came to the rescue to remove the passengers. Lt. Nick Barrow says the damaged tender has been taken out of service and the Coast Guard is investigating the incident. Fenceviewer reports a passenger on the cruise ship tender that ran aground near Bar Island the evening of Oct. 4 said that the impact of the crash threw nearly all the 100 people onboard from their seats. In the minutes following the accident, passenger Rex Garrett said the rattled passengers from the Celebrity Summit were left to fend for themselves. “Myself and a couple of other passengers started handing out life jackets while other guests assisted folks that could not get their life jackets on,” Mr. Garrett said via email Monday. “The crew provided no assistance to the passengers or instructions on safety procedures.” A total of 93 passengers and two crew members from the Summit were onboard the tender when it ran onto rocks between Bar Island and Sheep Porcupine Island around 7:45 p.m., during low tide and with low visibility from rain and fog. Tender #12 took “notable damage to both sides of the hull and breaches below the water line,” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Tiffany Hayes, search and rescue coordinator at the Sector Northern New England Command Center in South Portland. “It was fortunate that there were no injuries and nobody fell in the water,” Ms. Hayes said.

Tender runs aground

October 3

Paradise

Thanh Nien News reports five Taiwanese tourists were killed when their tender capsized after a collision with a tourist boat in Ha Long Bay Wednesday. Quang Ninh province authorities said the small vessel was carrying 18 tourists, all Taiwanese and mainland Chinese, back to their ship after a visit to Sung Sot Cave when it collided with the Dong Phong 02 at around 4:15 p.m. It sank killing a 69-year-old man, thee women, and a nine-year-old girl. The remaining 13 were rescued and safely brought to shore. The tender had been ferrying the tourists back to a larger ship named Paradise, which was carrying 36 Taiwanese and Chinese tourists. The 36, all employees from a company in Kaohsiung and their families, came to Vietnam on October 2 with Taiwan-based Life Tour. They were scheduled to return home October 5, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. Vietnamese authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

USA Today reports the ship failed to pass an unannounced health inspection by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In giving the 96-passenger Grande Mariner a failing grade of 75, CDC inspectors cite a long list of violations including moldy ice cube machines, food stored at potentially hazardous temperatures, malfunctioning dishwashers, dirty shelves, open food containers and dried food debris on cooking equipment. The CDC report says poor lighting in the galley may have contributed to some of the cleaning problems.

The Local (Sweden) reports a 28-year-old man thought to have forced a younger man to jump off the deck of a Viking Line ferry – a fall of some 27 metres – is under arrest in Stockholm on suspicions of attempted murder The drama unfolded on the deck of the Viking Line ferry Cinderella around 4pm on Sunday as the boat was moored at the Stadsgårds pier in Stockholm. The man who jumped overboard managed to survive the fall and get back onboard the boat "He was able to find a ladder on the stern of the boat," Bengt Hellström of the Södermalm police told the Aftonbladet newspaper. "He was really lucky to survive. If he'd twisted in the slightest, we would have been killed by the impact with the hard water." The 28-year-old man was arrested by guards onboard the ferry and then turned over to police. The victim was taken to hospital, but escaped the harrowing fall without sustaining any serious injuries. It remains unclear exactly what prompted the man to jump over the ferry's railing and into the chilly waters of Stockholm harbour.
"They were travelling together, but they reportedly had made each other's acquaintance rather recently," Hellström told the paper. Police have classified the incident as attempted murder.
"If a person forces a someone to jump 27 metres down into the water, that person should realize that normally, you don't survive," said Hellström

The Royal Gazette reports a recovering drug addict who stole a copy of a famous oil painting from a cruise ship was fined $500 in Magistrates’ Court. Kevin Hudgeons, 43, of Kentucky, yesterday admitted stealing an official copy of a Rembrandt painting valued at $13,114.06 while a passenger on the Norwegian Star. Prosecutor Larissa Burgess said security staff on board the vessel saw Hudgeons as he attempted to leave the ship with a large painting at 7.25am on September 28. When confronted, Hudgeons said: “I’m going to mail it home.” He gave various explanations as to how he’d ended up with the painting, telling staff he’d bought it at auction, painted it himself and won it in a raffle. The ship’s video footage showed Hudgeons removing the painting and carrying it towards his quarters on the ship. When interviewed by police, Hudgeons said he was under the impression that he won the painting during an on-board raffle. Defence lawyer Oonagh Vaucrosson told the court that his client had spent the weekend in custody, missed work and was now forced to find alternative travel arrangements to return to the United States. She said she’d been informed by Hudgeons’ wife that he was on medication to treat opiate withdrawals and had been acting oddly. Ms Vaucrosson added that the painting was roughly the size of a door. For Hudgeons to carry it so freely without trying to hide it only backed his claim that he genuinely thought he had won the painting, she said.

Caught stealing

October 1

Silja Galaxy

Finnish press reports a man fell into the sea from the passenger ferry Silja Galaxy about 20 miles southeast of Mariehamn, on the night of Sunday. Coast Guard was forced to abort the search as fruitless on Sunday morning. Silja Europa and several merchant vessels participated in the search. Neither the Finnish or Swedish rescue helicopters were involved in reconnaissance due to heavy Rain. Rough seas were heavy at night. Silja Galaxy operates between Turku and Stockholm.

The Sun Sentinel reports the ship sustained a partial loss of propulsion as the vessel was maneuvering in preparation to berth in the Port of Tampa, Florida. An excitation breaker for the starboard azipod tripped offline causing a loss of electrical service to the azipod. Vessel retained partial maneuverability with port azipod until breaker for starboard azipod was reset. Technical representative confirmed he tripped excitation breaker caused the power loss that resulted in the azipod going offline. Technical representative remained on vessel during follow-on voyage. During outbound transit (within hours of the first loss of propulsion), excitation breaker tripped again causing a second loss of propulsion Technical representative troubleshot the system and determined faulty transceiver caused the breaker to trip; the transceiver was replaced.

BBC reports rescuers searching for a 72 year old British woman who fell overboard from a cruise ship in the Atlantic have found a body. The woman who was traveling with her husband was reported missing on the Aurora ship as it sailed from the Portuguese city of La Caruna (originally the port call would have been Oportobut was diverted because of demonstrations and austerity measures) to Barcelona on Friday. The ship's crew were alerted and ordered an immediate search for the woman, who has not yet been named. The Aurora left Southampton for a 14-night western Mediterranean cruise on 26 September.

Cruise Law News reports maritime lawyers in Miami have been in a state of outrage following a recent decision from an appellate court in the Estate of Tore Myhra v. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., Case No. 10-15840 (11th Cir. Sept. 21, 2011). This case addressed the issue of whether a cruise line could legally enforce a "forum selection clause" transferring the lawsuit to a court outside of the U.S., if the effect of the transfer were to limit the cruise line's liability for personal injury or death occurring on cruises. There is a federal statute which clearly prohibits cruise lines from doing this. 46 U.S.C. section 30509(a) states that attempts to limit liability by contractual terms in cases where the cruise ship calls on a U.S. port are illegal and unenforceable. In the Myhra v. Royal Caribbean case, a passenger contracted what is described as a bacterial infection on the Liberty of the Seas which led to his death. His widow filed suit in Miami where all lawsuits against this cruise line are filed. But the cruise line moved to dismiss the case, citing terms buried deep in the the passenger ticket which specified the U.K. as the location for the lawsuit. The lawyers for Mr. Myhra's widow argued that the fine print terms in the passenger ticket were not reasonably communicated to Mr. Myhra, and even if they were, because the U.K. adopted the Athens Convention limiting the liability of cruise lines to a maximum of $75,000 (even including death cases), this clause violated 46 U.S.C. section 30509(a). But the Eleventh Circuit held that 46 U.S.C. section 30509(a) was not violated. In a tortuously reasoned opinion, it held that because it was not the cruise line limiting its liability, but rather a foreign country (the U.K.) which provided limited damages, the transfer to the U.K. didn't violate 30509(a). This is a rather circuitous argument. After all, it was Royal Caribbean which inserted the U.K. into the ticket as the chosen forum. It did so because it knew that Britain would afford only limited damages to passengers in cases of injury and death. Curiously, in a footnote to the decision, the court held that a different result might be reached if the passengers were a U.S. citizen who bought his ticket in the U.S., as opposed to a Brit who bought his ticket in Britain. But there is more to the story. Mr. Myhra was not just an average passenger. He was the former Captain (i.e., Master) of several Royal Caribbean cruise ships. He mastered the Monarch of the Seas and was a captain of one of the cruise line's first cruise ships, the Song of America. By all accounts, Captain Myhra was a skilled mariner, a dedicated Royal Caribbean employee and a well respected captain who was liked by his fellow officers and crew members on the cruise ships on which he served as Master.

The Seattle Times reports that when Antonia Giannasca called Carnival Cruise Lines this year to book a vacation to Mexico for her extended family, the sales representative assured her that she had all the travel documents necessary to board the ship. Under the U.S. government's "closed loop" rules for cruises, her 3- and 11-year-old sons needed only their birth certificates. She and her husband were required to bring a valid ID and a birth certificate. Her mother, Vittoria, a naturalized citizen born in Italy who would be celebrating her 71st birthday during the voyage, needed her naturalization form and an ID, the representative told her. Passports wouldn't be required. But those assurances gave way to a sinking feeling as they tried to board the Carnival Imagination in Miami. When Giannasca's mother arrived at the dock with the family on June 18, a Carnival representative examined her paperwork and shook her head. "Uh-oh," the agent said. "This is the wrong form." Vittoria Giannasca should have brought a naturalization form with a raised seal, a little detail that the Carnival sales agent apparently had failed to mention. An emotional confrontation between family members and cruise line employees followed, with Carnival offering to let the passengers find the required form and board the ship in Key West, Fla., for an extra $1,500 — money they didn't have. They missed their cruise. Giannasca, a restaurant server in Boynton Beach, Fla., says that her family was traumatized by the lost vacation and by Carnival's treatment. The cruise was to be their first, and she and her husband had saved for nearly a year for the special event. But being denied boarding wasn't the worst part. When they asked Carnival to refund the $3,275 they'd spent on the cruise, the company turned them down flat, she says. "We sincerely regret any misunderstanding regarding acceptable forms of travel documentation," Carnival said in a form letter. "While I wish I had better news, we can't respond favorably to your request for compensation."

Cruise Critic reports the ship failed its health inspection. Here's what they say: "Cinnamon sticks stored next to a baited roach trap, blocks of nonpotable carving ice in contact with containers of ice cream and more than a dozen live flies were recently discovered on Veendam by health inspectors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those and over 100 other infractions earned the Holland America ship a failing score of 77 out of 100 on its August 19 vessel sanitation inspection.The CDC's surprise cruise ship cleanliness exam is conducted twice a year, with an 86 considered passing. In a detailed report, inspectors documented finding live flies in a pastry dry stores locker, a provisions room, a prep room and numerous galleys throughout the ship. The report recommended that crew effectively control the presence of insects, rodents and other pests to minimize their presence in the food storage, preparation and service areas. Inspectors also found a number of washing and food storage devices, including refrigerators and dishwashing machines, were in need of repair. A leak in a water line directly above one dishwashing machine resulted in water dripping into the machine and contaminating clean dishes after they were sanitized. According to the report, workers were then observed taking contaminated dishes and putting them into clean storage racks. Another infraction involved a goateed cook doing food preparation without wearing a beard restraint. The cook was instructed by staff to put on a beard restraint. Per VSP guidelines, food employees should wear hair restraints and clothing that covers body hair. Additional violations were cited for leaky faucets and ice machines, a lack of serving utensils alongside self-service cereal containers, and failing to include language on a menu about consuming raw foods.

Cruise Law News reports Cruise List broke a story today about a power outage which occurred on Holland America Line's Statendam cruise ship last Thursday. The Cruise List blog explains that last Thursday evening his proprietary application which searches for cruise information on Twitter picked up a tweet about a “fuel pump explosion” that caused a “two hour Power Outage on the Statendam.” He re-tweeted it but later deleted it when he received a direct message from the person originally tweeting the information, begging him to delete it for reasons not explained (he sounds a lot nicer than me). Cruise List then left a post on Cruise Critic asking if anyone knew about an incident on the Statendam. Yes, several passengers responded - the cruise ship indeed "lost all power and were serving cheese sandwiches in the main dining room."

Cruise Law News reports there was a gastrointestinal outbreak on the Celebrity Solstice at the end of August. One cruise passenger contacted us and stated: "Our Celebrity Solstice cruise out of Barcelona on 8/27/12 had a huge outbreak of the norovirus. People were sick at the end of the cruise, however Celebrity loaded up the ship to head back out the same day. I don't see how in the world the boat could have been cleaned thoroughly." The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not document cases of cruise ship norovirus / gastrointestinal illness when the cruise ships do not call on a U.S. port.

The Herald Sun reports JAMES Bailey fell asleep at the bar on a stag night cruise. He woke up on fire. And no-one will tell him what happened. Bailey, 28, from Lanarkshire in England is seeking legal advice after he says the owners of the Amsterdam booze cruise boat refused to accept any responsibility for the incident. He told the Daily Mail: “After a few drinks I feel asleep at a table on the eighth floor bar. Most of my friends were either asleep or back in their rooms. “I suddenly awoke in extreme agony and quickly realised my clothes were on fire. “The bartender assisted in removing my shirt and putting out the flames. “I burned my hand which instantly blistered to the size of a grape. Mr Bailey claims there was a group of 20-30 people in the bar when the incident occurred plus the bar staff. And yet no-one can tell him how he came to be on fire. He said shocked bar staff doused the flames but not before he suffered first, second and third degree burns. Cruise company DFDS Seaways said they were unable to comment on the accident.

Cruise Law News reports the disappearance of a crew member from the ship yesterday. Several newspapers in Italy are reporting that a crewmember went overboard. The ship was crossing the Adriatic for Venice. There are conflicting reports of the time of the overboard as occurring between 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. when the ship's passengers reported that a person had fallen into the sea. An Italian newspaper reports that the unidentified crew member went overboard in off the Italian coastal city of Ancona. The waters are described either as international waters or waters under the jurisdiction of Croatia. The sea was reportedly rough with winds gusting close to 100 kilometers per hour. Coast Guard vessels from Croatia and Italy have searched for the crew member without success.

CBC reports the ship arrived in Sydney carrying some sick passengers. Erik Elvejord, spokesman for the cruise line, said 20 passengers have gastrointestinal illness. He said the cruise line has dealt with similar levels of sickness before. Holland America lines has notified Health Canada. The ship heads to Halifax after leaving Sydney.

Cruise Critic reports two Classic International Cruises ships were arrested in Marseilles yesterday (Sep. 17), according to news reports. The 17,000-ton, 580-passenger Athena and 800-passenger Princess Danae were detained in the French port for failure to pay crew wages and fuel costs, according to the reports in a local newspaper. A third CIC ship, the 6,000-ton Arion, was said to be detained in Montenegro for similar reasons. Passengers onboard Athena -- which had been chartered by Belgian tour company All Ways -- were repatriated to Belgium, but the crews of both ships were still onboard yesterday (Sep. 17).

Ship detained

September 17

Multiple ships

USA Today reports protesters who want large cruise ships banned from Venice caused delays Sunday for several vessels departing the city, industry watcher. The Costa Favolosa (USA Today incorrectly said the ship was Fascinosa), MSC Opera, and MSC Musica left Venice several hours later than scheduled after a flotilla of small boats manned by the protesters took to the water (a reader in Venice reports the two MSC ships left the dock late because of technical problems). Hundreds of protesters also lined waterfront areas. The protest is just the latest from groups arguing that the growth of large cruise ships visiting Venice in recent years has had a negative impact on the destination. Cruise ships sailing into and out of Venice pass within yards of the city's famed Piazza San Marco, a route critics say is risky due to the possibility of environmental damage or an accident impacting historical treasures. The criticism has grown louder since the Costa Concordia accident off the coast of Italy earlier this year.

Cruise Law News and the Sun-Sentinel report a woman apparently went over the rail and into the water from the ship. At the time of the overboard last night, the Allure was sailing to Nassau after leaving Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), but the stop at Nassau was canceled and the ship will said directly to St. Maarten. Royal Caribbean issued a press release that a 21 year old U.S. passenger went overboard at 9:25 PM Eastern Standard Time last night. The incident was apparently captured on the cruise ship's CCTV cameras. The Sun Sentinel reports that the incident was reported to the cruise line around 9:30 PM, but the cruise line delayed reporting the incident to the Coast Guard for 2 hours until 11:30 PM. According to the Sun Sentinel, the cruise line apparently searched the ship for two hours to look for the young woman. Only after the shipboard search was unsuccessful did the ship contact the Coast Guard. The young woman is from Bartlett, Tennessee. UPDATE:WMC-TV News reports on October 2 that the ship departed port at 5 p.m. Within hours, the woman's mother said another passenger called ship security after she said she felt A'Riel go overboard. "This is a very specific 911 call that a passenger from the cabin below was actually struck on the arm by the person who fell from the cabin above," said the Marion family's attorney, Brett Rivkan. At 9:30 p.m., the ship's staff brought the mother to a secure room. Two hours later, the U.S. Coast Guard was called. At that time, the ship was 47 miles off of the coast of Fort Lauderdale. At 1:30 a.m., the search for A'riel began.

Bermuda News reports the cruise ship is now on its way back to the USA after breaking away its moorings due to gale force winds just past 2pm today. With a local tug standing by, the ship undocked for departure from Bermuda at 6:45pm local time and is now proceeding down channel. The ship was docked next to the Explorer of the Seas in Dockyard, and the two ships collided when the Star broke its moorings as gale force winds hammered the island this afternoon. Marine & Ports boats were tasked to attend the scene to provide assistance, and the vessel was all secure at approximately 2:45pm. Minister of Transport Walter Roban said: “Shortly after 2:00pm the Norwegian Star that was berthed portside at Heritage Wharf in Dockyard with its bow facing east had two mooring headlines broken as a severe squall with thunderstorm moved through the Dockyard area. This resulted in the vessel coming away from the berth and its bow swinging into the Great Sound. Fortunately Marine & Ports personnel based in Dockyard witnessed this incident as it began to unfold and were able to very quickly deploy the Government line boat “Inspector” and the tugboats Powerful & Faithful that arrived at the Norwegian Star to assist in short time." At 2:04 pm the Norwegian Star called Bermuda Radio and requested immediate tug boat assistance and reported it had broken mooring lines. The Commissioner’s Point weather reporting station showed 45 knots of wind. The vessel was all secure at approximately 2:45 pm. The stern of Norwegian Star did make contact with the stern of the Explorer of the Seas that was berthed at King’s Wharf and the damage is considered to be minimal. See here for pics of the damage.

The Bermuda Sun reports a cruise ship passenger who stole thousands of dollars worth of spa goods on his way to Bermuda has been fined. William James Mullen pinched nearly $3,000 worth of items from the spa on board the Explorer of the Seas as the ship made its way to Bermuda. The court heard he took the items while staff weren’t looking after he and his wife had treatments. Mullen also stole another passenger's Royal Caribbean Sea Pass credit card and used it to buy $130 worth of cologne for himself. At Magistrates' Court this morning the American national was fined $4,000 after admitting a series of theft and deception charges. The 46-year-old from New Jersey was arrested on September 12 when the ship arrived in Dockyard. He was interviewed by police and admitted all the offences. Mr Mullen and his wife had been put ashore and now had to find their own way home.

From a passenger: On board with 114 passengers on the Danube headed toward Nurenburg. Min. 15 passengers have become ill with symptoms of virus ( vomiting and diahria). Started Tuesday afternoon continues today (Friday).

The Bermuda Sun reports Steven Friedberg, 62, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court today to possession of cannabis on September 12 in Sandy’s. He was a passenger aboard the Norwegian Star. Earlier this morning, Prosecutor Takiyah Burgess told the court customs officers searched the ship with a canine alerting them to Friedberg’s cabin. In the safe, officers found rolling papers, three homemade cigarettes and three partially smoked cigarettes. The defendant was arrested later that day and admitted the drugs belonged to him. Friedberg was fined $800 to be paid immediately, however he missed the ship's return to the US.

The Daily Mail reports the ship has suffered an engine failure at sea leaving around 2,000 passengers due to sail on her next month forced to change their holiday plans. The vessel, known as 'QV', is currently sailing off the coast of Portugal and is being forced to sail more slowly than is usual due to a problem with the ship's propulsion system. The failure has forced Cunard to cancel a forthcoming Adriatic Discovery cruise - that was due to sail on October 3 - while repairs are made to the ship in Germany. Passengers scheduled to join the voyage have been offered alternative cruises or a refund, the company said. 'The work relates to one of Queen Victoria's propulsion units. Although there are no safety issues relating to this maintenance, it does preclude the ship achieving the speeds required to deliver the voyage itinerary and therefore it is necessary to take the ship out of service for a short period.' Repairs to the ship will take place at a dry dock in Bremerhaven before she is returned to sea on Wednesday 17th October.

The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 69 (a failing score is anything below 86).

Failed health inspection

September 7

Carnival Corporation (dba "Carnival Ports")

A reader alerted us of a lawsuit against Carnival Corporation (dba Carnival Ports) that included allegations of what some would consider "dirty tricks." For those who are interested in the details, see the attached Amended Complaint in Case No. 11-21318 CA25 (in particular, see pages 3 - 5; paragraphs 13-16) and the Jury Verdict in the case. Some may find this interesting to read.

USA Today reports the ship, while visiting the Faroe Islands today, hit an overhead cable strung between two islands in an incident that left one crew member injured and the ship's mast damaged. Royal Caribbean says the ship remains seaworthy and has continued on with its trip, a 16-night sailing from Harwich, England to Boston. "While the ship did sustain some damage to equipment located on the mast, as well as to the mast itself, this in no way affects the seaworthiness of the ship," the line says in a statement. "Local officials responded to Jewel of the Seas, and after inspecting the damage to the ship concluded that the ship can safely sail. "Royal Caribbean says the injured crew member was hit by falling debris and was transferred to a Faroe Island hospital after being initially treated onboard. The ship was pulling into the Faroe Islands town of Klaksvik at the time of the incident. The ship departed Harwich on Aug. 31 and will be stopping in Iceland and Newfoundland, Canada before arriving in Boston on Sept. 16.

Gibrlatar Chronicle reports alaptop bag left unattended in the cruise terminal yesterday sparked the second bomb scare in less than a week. The bag was spotted by personnel from the Borders and Coastguard Agency, which alerted the Royal Gibraltar Police and the bomb disposal squad of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. The area was cordoned off anµd a controlled explosion was carried out using a remotely operated robot known as ‘the wheelbarrow’. A manual search subsequently established that the bag was full of harmless personal belongings. The cruise ship Azura remained docked throughout the incident, though hatches were closed and any crew and passengers on board were asked to remain on the port side of the vessel, away from the terminal. Passengers returning to the ship after a day in Gibraltar were stopped at the security gate for approximately two hours until the incident was resolved.

The CDC reports 114 of 1778 passengers (6.41%) and 11 of 851 crew (1.29%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers will board the ship on arrival in Juneau, AK on September 7, 2012 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 25 day cruise from Beijing to San Francisco via Alaska.

CP 24 News reports several people were hurt on Lake Simcoe Sunday afternoon after a cruise ship struck a dock, sending passengers lunging. Two people were taken to hospital by ambulance and a number of others were treated at the scene for minor injuries. The collision occurred around 2:30 p.m. when the Serendipity Princess was attempting to dock. Something went wrong and passengers were sent flying into the railings. “The corner of the boat caught the dock and stopped her dead,” bystander Earl Draper told CTV Barrie. “A lot of people went off their chairs and fell on the ground.” Barrie Police and Transport Canada are investigating the incident. It was unknown whether the accident was caused by human or mechanical error. The boat has a capacity of 265 passengers and tours the Kempenfelt Bay every day.

The CDC reports 153 of 2129 passengers (7.19%) and 6 of 812 crew (0.74%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is collaborating with Health Canada’s Travelling Public and Conveyances Program, which sent two inspectors to meet the ship in Victoria, BC prior to the ship’s arrival in Seattle, WA on August 31, 2012.The ship was on a 7 day cruise to Alaska.

The Independent (Ireland) reports the High Court has ordered the arrest and detention of the ship when it arrived in Dublin Port today. It was detained arising out of an alleged failure by its owners to pay an outstanding fuel bill of US$94,000 (€75,000). The ship, which is registered in Madeira and flies the flag of Portugal, arrived in Dublin Port on Thursday morning, and was due to depart at 7pm this evening. The arrest and detention order was sought by Italian registered firm Omega Bunker SRL, who entered into an agreement with the ships owners Waybell Cruises Inc, with a registered address at Panama City, Panama, to supply the vessel with fuel in the Port of Manila the Philippines last April. The owners were then invoiced for $409,000 (€325,000). Ciaran Lewis Bl, for Omega, told the court that this deal was not honoured by the ship's owners. Earlier this year counsel said that his client had the ship detained in the port of Pireaus in Greece over its alleged failure to pay the fuel bill. The ship was released in early June after the parties entered into an settlement agreement. The ship’s owners agreed to make a number of payments in June of July of this year in order to settle the bill. Several payments were made. However, despite that agreement the ship's owners had refused to pay an outstanding amount of $94,000, which Omega claims it is due. Counsel said his client now wanted the ship restrained from going to sea until security was given that it would receive its money. There was some urgency in the matter, as the ship was due to sail later today. UPDATE: The ship sailed at 8PM after reportedly settling the outstanding fuel bills.

USA Today reports the U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 31-year-old man who authorities say jumped from the ship. Officials say a security guard saw the man leap into the water from a 10th floor deck early Tuesday. Officials say he fell about 87-feet into the water. Crewmembers aboard the cruise ship reported the incident to the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center at 2:09 a.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard says has three ships, a motor life boat and a helicopter are currently searching the waters off Ponce De Leon for the man. UPDATE: Cruise Critic reports the man, US Army Sergeant Ronald Kemp, was intoxicated and had entered a crew-only area of the ship. There he was confronted by a female crewmember, who told him to leave. A physical confrontation ensued, during which time a security officer pepper sprayed Kemp, who then fled. Security gave chase, and Kemp ran up to the Verandah deck, one deck above the Lido deck. In order to evade security, he jumped over the railing, falling one level and landing on the Lido, and then continued to flee before grabbing a life ring and leaping overboard. The cruise line would not respond to Cruise Critic's inquiries.

From a reader: I have friends on Sun Princess which is on a 104 day World Cruise, Sydney to Sydney. Ship docks in Sydney, Wednesday 29 August, 2012. Incident: About 0430 on Tuesday 27 August 2012, the ship was in Tasman Sea west of the Bay of Islands New Zealand. She lost all power, a transformer had blown. After floating around without any power, the transformer was repaired and about 0800 the same day, she continued sailing for Sydney. No persons injured

Cruise Critic reports wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour pulled the ship from its moorings early Sunday evening during embarkation in Venice. No one was injured and the ship was undamaged. Just over an hour later, the ship was able to re-dock with the assistance of tug boats and embarkation resumed. Cruise Critic first learned of the incident from member jetskier who posted that a friend on shore witnessed the ship pull away and watched it be pulled back into port. Breeze's cruise director explained: The ship was embarking passengers for an 11-night Mediterranean sailing. The ship overnighted in Venice as scheduled and departed on Monday on time.

The Otago Daily Times reports a commercial cruise ship has been sent to Bluff for repairs after it ran into gravel in Milford Sound on Thursday while carrying 101 passengers. The Real Journeys-owned Milford Mariner grounded at Harrisons Cove, 2km from the Milford Sound terminal, at about 3pm, damaging one of its propellers. The captain used one engine to return to the terminal. While none of the 101 passengers on board were injured during the incident, all on board were "well aware" of the collision. The ship ran in to trouble just short of finishing its two and a-half hour cruise and the experienced captain opted to switch to one engine and guide the cruise ship back to the terminal.

Associated Press reports the U.S. Coast Guard says a cruise ship carrying 120 people has been freed after running aground and becoming stranded in the Detroit River. The Coast Guard says the 216-foot Yorktown ran aground about 8 p.m. Saturday south of Detroit, near Wyandotte. Petty Officer Tyler Andrews tells the Detroit Free Press that no injuries were reported and the ship wasn't taking on water. Petty Officer 2nd Class Levi Read in Cleveland says it was a soft grounding, and a commercial tug was able to free the Yorktown about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. He says an inspection found no significant damage, and the Cleveland-bound ship was under way near Lorain, Ohio, late Sunday morning. The ship is on an eight day cruise to Canada.

Boston Globe reports A skipper in training navigated a ferry to Provincetown into a sandbar in Boston Harbor Saturday morning. No injuries were reported, and all 149 passengers were transferred to another Bay State ferry. The company said a captain who has been training for about a month missed navigational marks and skidded onto a sandbar near Nixes Mate, a small patch of land between Deer Island and Long Island. “At this time, it appears to us that it was a matter of operator error, clear and simple,” Michael Glasfeld, a spokesman for Bay State Cruise Co., wrote in the statement. “Our electronic equipment is top notch, and there is no excuse for having missed the navigational marks and being as far out of position as they were.” Another captain with six years of experience was supervising the operation, Glasfeld said. “It appears at this time that the fault is ours completely, and we bear the responsibility fully,” Glasfeld wrote. The captain driving the ship was fired, Glasfeld said. At 5 p.m. Saturday, about an hour before high tide, the boat dislodged and crews slowly drove it back to the harbor for inspection.

The Press and Journal reports businesses at Oban were dealt a blow yesterday when a visit by a cruise ship was diverted farther south. The MSC Lirica had been scheduled to arrive off Oban with more than 1,500 passengers on board, but due to the weather forecast earlier in the week, the cruise company changed its plans and decided to call at Greenock. Despite the company’s fears, the Argyll town experienced a few showers and a light breeze yesterday and none of the ferries was disrupted due to weather conditions. At the same time Greenock Telegraph reports the ship made its first ever call to Greenock yesterday after being added to the list of visitors at the last minute. It was added to the busy Ocean Terminal schedule earlier this week after a change of plans saw the ship berth here instead of Oban.

The Orlando Sentinel reports federal prosecutors said a Casselberry man participated in the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl while onboard a Carnival cruise ship last weekend. Casey Dickerson, 31, was arrested on a federal sex charge Monday after an FBI investigation accused him and several teenage boys of having forcible sex with the girl in a cabin on Sunday. A judge deemed Dickerson a danger to the community and ordered he be held at the Orange County Jail until his trial. The other boys, identified only by their initials, admitted to having sex with the girl but have not been charged. Federal prosecutors must seek permission from the Attorney General in order to file charges against juveniles. A U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman said Wednesday her agency is continuing to review the case. FBI Special Agent Dave Couvertier said that even during vacations, parents must keep safety in mind and be aware of their surroundings. Children who are unsupervised are prime targets for victimization, he said. "Whether at a sporting event, theme park, or a on a cruise, you need to be aware that there are hundreds of people from all walks of life participating in the related activity," Couvertier said. "This could include thieves, con men, and even child predators." According to a criminal complaint, Dickerson and his wife were on the cruise that left from Port Canaveral on Aug. 16. The couple was given a second cabin after complaining about a noise issue with their first room, according to the complaint, but was allowed to keep both cabins. The teenage victim told an FBI agent that she and another friend, also 15, went to Dickerson's cabin with him and four other boys. Once in the cabin, the girl said, Dickerson and the boys held her down and took turns having sex with her, according to the complaint. At the same time, the victim's teenage friend was being held in the bathroom by one of the boys. As Dickerson and the others sexually assaulted the victim, they told each other to "switch," so that they would change positions. The girl said someone knocked on the door while she was being attacked and one of the boys answered it. The girl said she was on the floor of the cabin, wearing only a bra, and after the person who knocked at the door left, Dickerson and the boys continued their sexual attacks, the complaint says. Eventually, one of the suspected attackers dressed the girl and her teenage friend was allowed out of the bathroom. The girl received medical treatment on the ship for her injuries. The FBI also questioned the boys allegedly involved in the attack. The boys told agents Dickerson gave alcohol to the victim and her friend, and that the victim was inebriated to the point that she could not resist the attacks. UPDATE: Business Insider reports the 31-year-old man accused of raping a teenage girl claims he was drunk at the time and while he had sex with other women aboard the ship, he isn't sure the teenage girl was one of them. He was arrested Monday after a 15-year-old girl claimed he and a group of four teenage boys held her down and took turns having sex with her, telling each other to "switch" when it was time for a new man to sexually assault her. The boys, who have not been named, reportedly told the FBI Dickerson plied the girl with alcohol until she was "inebriated to the point that she could not resist the attacks."

Gang rape of minor

August 21

VenusVenus Cruise Line

Kyiv Post reports a cruise ship, the crew of which includes 70 Ukrainian citizens, has been arrested in Israel due to wage arrears, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported. "According to the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel, the Venus, the Maltese-flagged cruise ship, the crew of which consists of 340 people, among them 70 citizens of Ukraine, was arrested in the port of Ashdod on August 15 this year," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Dykusarov said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday. He added that the ship had been arrested under a lawsuit lodged by crew members regarding the payment of their salaries and that a lawyer was currently defending their rights and interests. "The health of the crew members, including Ukrainians, is satisfactory, and the ship has enough drinking water and food," Dykusarov said. He also noted that none of the crew members, including Ukrainian citizens, had accepted the lawyer's offer to leave the ship and return home. The Ukrainian Embassy in Israel and the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry are overseeing the case.

The Guardian reports an Irish man who brought a civil claim against the owners of a cruise ship after he was the butt of jokes told by comedians on board two of its vessels has won an out-of-court payment. John Wolfe, 74, a retired builder from Dublin, claimed the jokes, which allegedly stereotyped Irish people, were deeply offensive and left him feeling humiliated. He complained to P&O after he and his wife Joan were on board a worldwide cruise on the Oriana five years ago and brought a claim against Carnival Plc, the owners of the company. During the trip, he claimed that two comedians entertained passengers by telling a series of Irish jokes in their routines. After allegedly receiving reassurances from the company such jokes would be banned and the Wolfes were given £1,000 of vouchers to spend, they were surprised and upset to hear similar jokes when they took another P&O cruise in 2008 - to the Caribbean on board the Artemis. Wolfe brought a civil claim against Carnival Plc - the owners of P&O - under race relations legislation as well as the European Union's race directive - a ruling which sets out the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. The case was due to be heard at the Manchester Civil Justice centre but has been settled out of court. Wolfe, who represented himself during proceedings, said he couldn't comment on the settlement, but it is believed to be a five-figure sum. The claim that he had been a victim of racial discrimination was struck out by the court. At a hearing in May, District Judge Anthony Harrison said the case centred on whether Carnival was "vicariously liable" - that is, whether they were responsible for the actions of the comedians. Carnival argued that as the comedians were employed by a sub-contractor - and not directly by them - it is not responsible for the offensive jokes. The company also claims that as the alleged incidents took place outside UK waters, they do not fall under the jurisdiction of its laws. It argues that a settlement was reached with Wolfe following his first complaint and because he was given £1,000 worth of vouchers, this effectively precluded him pursuing a further complaint. A P&O spokesperson said: "We can confirm that this case has been resolved amicably out of court to the satisfaction of both parties."

Sydney Morning Herald reports a female cruise ship passenger is suing P&O for sexual harassment over comments and gestures made by the judge of a singing competition during a 10-day South Pacific cruise. Last November Kate Strahan, 50, took part in the "Popstars" contest final on the Pacific Jewel cruise ship, appearing in a leopard skin dress for an imitation of Tina Turner's River Deep Mountain High. I could not believe or understand how such a thing could happen. As it came to judge the performance, one of the judges, Rory Healey, allegedly told her he could see her underwear through her dress, commented on her breasts and suggested she could "cougar" him any time. Kate Strahan ... performing a Tina Turner hit in the "Pop stars" show on board Pacific Jewel. Kate Strahan ... performing a Tina Turner hit in the "Pop stars" show on board Pacific Jewel. After her performance she was interviewed backstage and the interview was screened on three large screens to the audience of about 1200 fellow passengers. Ms Stahan's husband, John O'Brien, alleges Mr Healey then touched the screen showing her image, fondling and kissing the screen image of her breasts. P&O is trying to have the sexual harassment case dismissed, arguing the incident took place outside Australian waters, therefore the sexual harassment laws do not apply. However, the couple's claim is also based on breach of contract and civil law, and Mr O'Brien said they would be seeking exemplary damages, designed to punish the company. It is understood the total claim exceeds $1 million, and a spokesman for P&O called it "excessive". Mr O'Brien said if the company was successful in getting the sexual harassment case thrown out it meant that passengers had no protection under Australian laws for most of the cruise. He said the case also raised important legal issues about maritime law and whether a screen image could be the object of sexual harassment. He said his wife, a nurse in palliative care, was so stressed by the matter, she has had to stop working. The Australian Human Rights Commission has been unable to resolve the complaint. The case returns to the Federal Magistrate's court on September 21.

CTV News reports a cruise ship that stopped in Halifax about two weeks ago is the suspected source of an outbreak that shut down two restaurants on the waterfront this week. It turns out at least 200 people on the ship reported feeling ill, and restaurant and business owners in downtown Halifax are now asking why they weren’t notified of the outbreak. Lisa Drader-Murphy owns a clothing store in Bishop’s Landing. She developed norovirus-like symptoms Sunday; about a week after her store manager fell ill. “We had had an incident, or a day in our store where many cruise ship passengers had come through and told our staff there was a Norwalk outbreak on their cruise ship,” says Drader-Murphy. The Carnival Glory docked in Halifax on Aug. 9 and it appears it may have carried more than just passengers to the waterfront. Two waterfront restaurants, The Bicycle Thief and Ristorante a Mano, had to close after at least 26 staff and customers became ill with what also appears to be the norovirus.

Cruise brings illness onshore

August 20

Baranof Wind

CBS News reports responders have rescued 72 people on a sightseeing vessel that began taking on water in Alaska's Glacier Bay after reportedly striking a rock. Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley says there were reports of minor injuries in the incident Sunday involving the 79-foot Baranof Wind. The Coast Guard says the flooding was contained and there are no immediate reports of pollution. According to the Coast Guard, 70 people were transferred to the Holland America cruise ship Volendam, which was expected to transport the sightseeing passengers to Bartlett Cover. From there, another vessel will take them to Juneau. Two others were taken aboard a National Park Service boat, and four crew members remained on board the Baranof Wind. The Coast Guard is investigating.

The Mirror reports crew snort what appear to be lines of cocaine on their breaks. A whistleblower insisted the substance pictured was cocaine – and also claimed wild parties and casual sex were the norm for workers on the ship. A former worker said: “It’s all very family-friendly. On deck, you have people in Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck outfits performing tricks. But downstairs, staff are sniffing coke. So many people are doing it, it’s an open secret. People even do it during their shift. Staff work very long hours and it’s their only release.” The company is investigating the crew member's claims.

From a Passenger: During our British Isles cruise on the Caribbean Princess it was brought to our attention on August 4, 2012 that the casino aboard ship would be closed from August 04, 2012 and reopen at 09:30 pm on August 9, 2012. It appears that Princess Cruises new about the gaming restrictions, but failed to notify any of the cruise passengers. I believe that if Princess Cruises had made this information known, the majority of passengers would of made other arrangements.

The Miami Herald reports a crewman sexually assaulted a South Florida passenger during a New Year’s cruise, an attack that was partially captured on surveillance video, according to a federal lawsuit. The woman identified as S.M. was attacked on Jan. 1 on the Navigator of the Seas during an Eastern Caribbean cruise, the lawsuit alleges. On the morning of the attack, the victim had gone to an upper-level deck to use a whirlpool. The woman asked a crew member for a towel, and he led her into a bathroom, where he assaulted her, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Ship surveillance video captured her following him into the bathroom — and her trying to escape, only to be dragged back in to the room, said Miami attorney Michael Feiler. The woman slipped away and reported the attack to ship security. Feiler believes Royal security officers took the man into custody and kicked him off the ship at the next overseas port.

Sexual assault

August 15

Unknown

The Royal Gazette reports hundreds of cruise ship passengers were left stranded at Hamilton ferry terminal yesterday, due to a broken-down vessel. The problem stemmed from the Bermudian (ferry) being out of service, leading to the 10.30am ferry from Hamilton to Dockyard being cancelled, along with the 1.15pm service from Dockyard to Hamilton. The other cancelled services were the 1.30pm from Hamilton to Dockyard and the 2pm from Dockyard to Hamilton. According to a concerned resident, “The Bermudian broke down and there was no one there helping the tourists. I was going into the Chamber of Commerce and saw the tourists. There were complaints that they could not get a ferry or taxi. I was there at 2.15pm and there must have been 500 people or more ... The tourists were panicking because they had a deadline to get back to their ship and nobody was giving them any information. I am unhappy about the attitude of the staff." The fast ferries operated beyond their normal schedule and the dock was cleared by 3pm.”

Por Esto reports a 19 year old woman who arrived in Cozumel on the ship went to Senor Frogs in the afternoon following a tour with her family. She says she began to dance with one of the employees of the place who turned out to be one of the DJ's. She says she was offered a drink and afterwards lost track of things and remembers something bad happening to her -- she had pain in her genital area and had bruise on her body. Her family decided to leave the cruise and stay on the island to go to authorities to report the facts, which they did the same Friday. She fully recognizes her alleged attackers. NOTE: This event is included because there have been a number of similar reports of sexual assault of young women at Senor Frogs bars.

From a passenger: I just returned (yesterday) from a New England / Canada cruise out of New York. I was one of over one hundred that suffered from some from some form of GI virus on day 3 of the cruise. Three people were taken to a hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I received a shot and some pills and was confined to my cabin for 24 hours. This, along with long waits to get into the dinning room made this my last cruise for my wife and I on Carnival.UPDATE:The CDC reports 205 of 1918 passengers (5.61%) and 3 of 1144 crew (0.26%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers boarded the ship on arrival in New York City on August 11, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 5-day cruise.

Go Jamaica reports the police are seeking the assistance of the public in locating an American who has been missing since Thursday. The Ocho Rios Police say 50-year-old Fredrick Lauritzen disembarked a cruise ship and has not been seen or heard from since.

The Telegraph reports on a series of mechanical problems with the ship over the past several months (see April 14 for early end of thr dhip'd insugursl voyage). A trip to Norway in June was also hit by complications, and last week another engine fault delayed the ship’s return to Britain from a voyage in the Baltic. In June, the cruise, billed as a “Voyage to the North Cape”, was unable to visit the North Cape, nor was it able to call at Svolvaer, Honningsvåg, Geiranger or Eidfjord. Arrival at Bergen was also late, leaving passengers little time to visit the town. Passengers also reported that there were power cuts and problems with the air conditioning. “The whole point of the cruise was to visit the fjords and the North Cape,” said Malcolm Billingsley, 71, a retired teacher from All affected passengers have subsequently been offered a refund of 40 per cent by Saga or a 50 per cent discount on a future cruise, but some felt the offer did not go far enough. Saga also confirmed that a “minor” problem occurred on Saga Sapphire during last week’s return from a Baltic cruise, which meant the ship had to sail into Dover using only one engine, but that it was fixed overnight.

The Daily Item (Lynn, MA) reports a room tag from the ship was found among a concentrated amount of sewage discovered on Pond Beach Saturday and has led Nahant officials to believe that the liner may have illegally dumped the debris in nearby waters. Harbormaster Rob Tibbo, who found the trash while walking the beach Saturday morning, said in an e-mail to Town Administrator Andy Bisignani that he found "what appears to be macerated sewage and other possible holding tank waste" along with a room tag from the MS Maasdam, a Holland America cruise ship. Vi Patek, president of Safer Waters in Massachusetts, said in an e-mail to her staff that the debris contained a mass of rubber gloves, dental floss, contraceptive and personal hygiene items, and a urinal cake, among other things. She received a report on Sunday from Linda Pivacek, Chairman of the Open Space Committee, that there were "huge masses of brownish foam" along the south shore of Little Nahant. Pivacek added in the e-mail that she could see "toilet paper and other debris ... within the foamy mass." Bisignani said such a high concentration of debris could not have come from beachgoers. Patek said Tuesday that idea is "impossible - that's a fact. This had to have come from a ship. The question for me is whether it came from outside the limit or outside Boston Harbor or what." Bisignani said that cruise ships leave Boston Harbor every Friday afternoon and travel right by Nahant through the North Channel. "With an incoming tide, [the debris] would have come right in," he said. In an e-mail alerting Coast Guard Lieutenant Casey Goranson of the situation, Bisignani said, "I personally observed a cruise ship exiting Boston Harbor through the North Channel on Friday afternoon." Patek said "the biggest problem is enforcement." Bisignani was told in an e-mailed response from Goranson that "without an eye witness or detailed information of a possible release, our options are limited. "Without the ability to enforce the issue, Bisignani and Patek are hoping to increase awareness of illegal dumping. Patek said it's important "for people to be aware that this happened and be aware that it's very difficult to make a case against an individual ship but it's pretty serious and specific evidence."It should noted that Maasdam is in Europe at this time and last called in Boston on 14 July -- thus the illegal dumping of sewage, plastics, and other refuse could have been from another ship. (NOTE: The Cruise Line International Association claims its members' ship discharge nothing within 12 miles of the coastline -- that claim does not appear to be viable given this case.)

KXL-FM News reports a crew member fell off the stern while it was moored in Rainier, Oregon overnight. Witnesses saw him in the Columbia River for a short time before he disappeared just after 1:00. A search by a Coast Guard helicopter and boat found only the man's shirt. He's said to be in his mid-30's. The search has since been suspended. Authorities say there is little to no chance that he would've survived. The cruise ship has since left the port and headed upriver toward Portland.

Crew overboard - presumed dead

August 7

Clipper Odyssey

The Derry Journal reports the recently refurbished jetty at Fort George was damaged on Saturday morning when a large cruise ship crashed into it while docking. The ship was carrying around 200 passengers and crew was docking at Fort George when it collided with the edge of the jetty, causing visible damage. The collision damaged concrete at the edge of the jetty, buckled the metal railings and damaged a small electrical cabinet, causing it to fall over. The ship was not damaged in the collision and no one was injured. A spokesperson for the Port and Harbour Commission said that the captain of the vessel had accepted full responsibility for the incident.

Collision with pier

August 6

Detroit Princess Riverboat

Business Insider reports a woman in Detroit allegedly opened fire on people leaving the riverboat early Monday morning, leaving one man in critical condition and six others with minor injuries. Around 1:15 Monday morning, the woman, who's still being sought by police, shot into the crowd after getting into an argument onboard the cruise ship, the Detroit Free Press reported. "It looks like a group of people were getting in some kind of fight," Detroit Police Sgt. Alan Quinn told the Free Press. "When they got back to shore, a female who was involved in the fight got into her car, drove back ... and then she shot into the crowd of people who were getting off the boat." After the shooting, the woman reportedly got in her car and drove away. Descriptions of both the woman and her car were not immediately made available to the Free Press.

From a passenger: RE: sailing from Copenhagen to the Norwegian Fjords. During the evening of 29th July, day 2 of 7, after the first formal night a number of people, including myself were taken ill with a GI problem. By 8.30am the medical centre had dealt with, they say, ‘a few other passengers’ with the same problem. By mid-day the ship was undertaking special cleaning arrangements and I was one of those confined to the cabin – I was clear by 1pm on day 4. The captain announced at every opportunity the precautions to be taken and passengers getting back on after trips ashore were given letters explaining the situation - the ship handled the problem very well, including stopping all vacuuming of the carpets, sanitising every surface they could regularly, and stopping any hand-shaking with crew. On the last day our baggage was isolated from the others. It is interesting to note that I went back to the medical centre to say thank you for the way they looked after me and caught sight of the size of the file containing the paperwork involved; I would say only about 30 people had reported a problem, I am however convinced many more did not say anything to avoid being confined to their cabin.

Highlend News reports An investigation has been launched after a woman sustained a horrific leg injury working on a Loch Ness cruise ship. It is understood French employee Aurelia Thabart had to have part of a leg amputated after the accident. Her leg got caught up in a ship's rope in the incident at Dochgarroch Locks, near Inverness. Aurelia, who is in her mid-20s and lives with her partner in Culloden, was treated by Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics at the scene and rushed to Raigmore Hospital by ambulance. It is
understood she spent a month receiving treatment there after an amputation and was discharged from hospital last week. This week the Marine Accident Investigation (MAI) branch of the Department of Transport confirmed it is carrying out an investigation into the accident. The 23m lacobite Queen can hold up to 159 passengers on its three decks, and was refurbished and re-built by Jacobite Cruises 25 years ago. The firm carries more than 135,000 passengers annually.

Crew injury

August 3

Didim Mavisi

Hurriyet Daily News reports the cruise ship transporting 100 passengers was reduced to ashes after a fire ravaged the vessel off Turkey's Aegean coast today.The ship conducts tours of the Aegean islands, departed from the Aegean district of Ayvalik today, but a fire soon broke out in the boat's galley section as it cruised near the coast of Sarimsakli. The fire quickly spread as the captain directed the vessel to a nearby cove. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated as other boats came to the distressed vessel's aid. Some passengers jumped from the deck and swam ashore. The ship was damaged beyond use before the flames could be doused in a joint effort between the ship's crew and rescue teams from the Turkish coast guard.

Maritime Matters reports second officer Spyridon I. Diakoumakos alerted them about desperate conditions on board the ship, which is currently moored at Mazatlan, Mexico. Diakoumakos and his crew have reportedly been unpaid and provisions are running out. Mr. Diakoumakos describes how Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian and Indonesian deck and engine crew and officers are living “like prisoners” in unsanitary conditions and subsisting on expired food with no help in sight. A generator fire ended the ship's second cruise off the coast of Huatulco forcing the evacuation of 522 passengers and 226 crew in April 2011. She was eventually towed to Salinas Cruz for repairs. A report this past spring about a possible charter for use as an hotel ship in Korea has apparently fallen through. The ship was built in 1971 as the 724 passenger NORDIC PRINCE and in 1995, she was sold to British operator Airtours and renamed CAROUSEL and in 2004, she was sold to Louis Cruises, who renamed her AQUAMARINE the following year. Between 2006 and 2008, the ship was chartered to German-based Transocean under the name ARIELLE before reverting to Louis again as AQUAMARINE. In late 2010, AQUAMARINE was sold to Ocean Star for USD $23 million. Between early January and late March of 2011, OCEAN STAR PACIFIC underwent an extensive refurbishment in Curacao with newly redesigned Lido buffet, pool area and reception by Athens-based AMK (Katzourakis). New lounges, children’s areas, shops and a casino were added along with a new spa and nightclub. The refit work was executed by Piraeus based JGP Hellas and Finland based Riverco Oy. In July of 2012, the ship was issued several interim and temporary safety certificates, presumably to allow further refitting.

ABC News reports the New South Wales Government has ordered an investigation into claims a P&O cruise ship ran an illegal floating casino off the state's south coast. Last weekend, a P&O cruise ship left Sydney on a three-night cruise, including a stop at Jervis Bay. Passengers say once at sea they could access up to $5,000 from their credit cards to gamble on games including blackjack, poker and roulette. Under state laws it is only legal to run casinos on ships that are at least 12 nautical miles offshore. NSW Gaming Minister George Souris says the waters around Jervis Bay are technically Commonwealth territory, but he has asked the Office of Liquor and Gaming to investigate. "If it turns out that gambling operations were being conducted in New South Wales territorial waters of the coast line then that is indeed a breach," he said. P&O says it has always worked to operate within the legislative framework.

Illegal casino

Juy 26

Diamond Royale / Sun Cruz VII

Savannah Now reports the general manager and two captains of a casino cruise ship have been indicted by a federal grand jury for operating an illegal gambling business aboard the Diamond Royale vessel in the Savannah area. Gregory Sicilia, 59, and Jeffrey Thompson, 38, both of Savannah, and John Sternberg, 45, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., were named in the indictment unsealed Monday. Sicilia worked as general manager of the Diamond Royale, and Thompson and Sternberg were two of the vessel’s captains, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Marine Charters LLC and Diamond Casino Cruise LLC, corporate owners and operators of the cruise ship, also were charged in the indictment. According to the indictment, the Diamond Royale, also known as the Sun Cruz VII, was a 184-foot casino cruise ship docked in the Bull River. Between July 2010 and November 2011, defendants aboard the vessel engaged in illegal gambling by operating the casino exclusively in the waters of Georgia and South Carolina where such gambling was prohibited, the indictment charged. During the period covered by the indictment the defendants generated more than $7 million in criminal proceeds, the indictment charged. The government is seeking forfeiture of the Diamond Royale and the $7 million as part of the prosecution. Federal agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Coast Guard, armed with search warrants, boarded the Diamond Casino cruise vessel in the Bull River Nov. 14.

Illegal casino

July 25

Aurelia

Corriere della Sera reports a 29 year old woman went missing Sunday morning, July 15, from the ferry between Civitavecchia and Sardinia. An alarm was raising at 9:30AM, but a search yielded no results. The woman's body washed ashore at Sardinia on Tuesday.

This is Plymouth reports a group of passengers who say they endured a nightmare voyage across the Atlantic when their cruise ship was lashed by high winds have taken their compensation claims to the High Court. Anthony and Dorothy Watchman, of Treago Gardens, Plymouth, and Susan Latham, of St Stephen's Road, Saltash, were among passengers on board the MV Athena when it was hit by a storm in 2006. Their claim for compensation has now gone before a judge, who will have to decide whether it is fair for the case to go ahead after a six-year delay. The ship set off on the 24-day "Maple Leaf Cruise" to New York, New England and Canada in September 2006, with passengers looking forward to visiting Nova Scotia and Maine before sailing into the Big Apple. But the trip of a lifetime turned into a holiday from hell when the ship hit heavy storms and high winds on its way to North America. One man was killed falling down a flight of stairs and a number of others were injured as they tumbled from their bunks or fell over as the ship listed in the bad weather. Lawyers for the passengers claim the travel company that booked them on the cruise and the ship's owners and operators should be held liable for their injuries because of the "negligent" decision to set out in such bad weather and the lack of proper warnings. They are suing Travelscope Holidays Limited and the Athena's owners and operators, Classic International Cruises S.A and Arcalia Shipping Company Limited, who deny liability. However, lawyers for the owners and operators are now arguing that the passengers' claims should be struck out due to the "inordinate and inexcusable delays" in bringing the cases to court. They say crucial witnesses, such as ship's safety and medical officers, may not be able to attend a hearing so long after the event and that their defence has been seriously prejudiced by the delay. However, Andrew Young, for the passengers, insisted the case can still be given a fair hearing and that striking out the passengers' claims without a full trial would be "draconian". Mr Justice Teare – who commented that he saw "no reason why the case has dragged on so long" – reserved his judgment on the preliminary issue and will give his ruling at an unspecified later date.

Overhead Bin reports 36 passengers got the scare of their lives when the tour bus they were on in St. Martin plunged into a ditch Thursday morning. None were seriously injured, though several were taken to a local hospital. The cruise passengers were on a Royal Caribbean-sponsored visit to Loterie Farm for a treetop ropes course and zipline adventure when the accident occurred. Seven passengers -- all from the U.S. -- along with the bus driver, were injured. The majority of the injuries were minor, with the most serious being a broken wrist. Most of the injured sustained "bumps and bruises," the spokeswoman said. All the injured "were immediately transported to the local Louis Constant Fleming Hospital for treatment." Guest care team members and a ship doctor remained with the passengers during their stay at the hospital. All returned to the ship the same day. The guest care team and onboard medical team also continued to provide onboard treatment for passengers, including counseling, for those who asked for it. The line will not confirm whether any compensation has been offered and added that even if any compensation were offered the "details of any compensation discussions are not disclosed." (See also Today SXM)

From a passenger: Today the port of call was the private island (Coco Cay). Some severe weather occurred after about half of the passengers had gone ashore. A weather cloud which the captain later described as having 100 mph winds caused the ship to list at least 15 to 20 degrees to one side, dishes to crash off of shelves etc. and mass chaos. We heard the "echo echo echo" called out to the crew over the P.A. system. The tendering operation was stopped, the island was eventually evacuated, and the passengers were re-loaded onto the ship via the provisioning entry. It was a nervous 15 minutes while the crew righted the ship.

The CDC reports 165 of 1918 passengers (8.60%) and 13 of 836 crew (1.56%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemiologist boarded the ship on arrival in New York City on July 20, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 13 day segment that began July 8, 201 in Dover as part of a 104-day world tour. UPDATE: The nubmer reporting ill has been reviewed to 201 of 1918 passengers (10.48%) and 15 of 836 crew (1.79%) UPDATE: The numer reporting ill has been reviewed to 201 of 1918 passengers (10.48%) and 15 of 836 crew (1.79%)

Illness

July 20

SkagitTanzania Ferry

Reuters reports rescue workers fought rough seas on Thursday to search for survivors after an overcrowded ferry sank near the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar, but hopes of finding people alive were slim. At least 68 people were confirmed dead and 145 were rescued after the ship capsized around midday on Wednesday near Chumbe island, west of Zanzibar. The vessel had set sail from mainland Tanzania to the semi-autonomous archipelago, a popular tourist beach destination. The ferry, with a maximum carrying capacity of 250 people according to Zanzibar marine authorities, was carrying 290 people, officials said.

Cruise Critic reports a small electrical fire broke out in passenger cabin. "There were no injuries and we're currently investigating the cause," Princess said in a statement sent to Cruise Critic. The ship, carrying 2,948 passengers on a 12-day Eastern Mediterranean cruise, is sailing on schedule. The voyage ends in Rome on July 23. Cruise Critic member MSH from Norway, who was onboard, posted that the fire occurred on the Emerald Deck (Deck 8) and that several cabins filled with smoke. Some cabins were also waterlogged MSH from Norway wrote. While Princess did not comment on the damage to the ship, the line did tell Cruise Critic that the passengers in the affected cabin, as well as those in the cabin next to it, were moved -- both cabins were left without electricity.

Travelers Today reports acruise ship passenger died while on a kayaking excursion in Alaska this past weekend. Michael Ray Fullerton, 62, a passenger on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas was on a kayaking on Mendenhall Lake adventure with three of his family members when his kayak overturned on Sunday. The family had rented the kayaks to use on the lake near Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. A family member said that Fullerton got tired during the excursion and couldn't paddle anymore, so the group tied the kayaks together. Fullerton's kayak somehow overturned, throwing him into the he cold water lake, which sees average temperature of average 37 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, according to Cruise Critic. The family got the attention of a canoeist who helped bring them all back to the beach. Officials were told that Fullerton was in the water for close to 30 minutes. He had already stopped breathing when he was brought to the shore. A fireman from Juneau's Capital City Fire and Rescue tried to resuscitate Fullerton through CPR, but he was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Bartlett Regional Hospital. "The other remaining people were treated for mild hypothermia, transported to the hospital and just kind of everybody met up at the hospital where the family was treated and released," fire chief Rich Etheridge told radio station KTOO News. The family has rented tandem kayaks and gear from Alaska Boat and Kayak in Auke Bay, according to KTOO News. Own Sean Janes said that the group did not have a guide but they were all given a safety lesson before taking the kayaks to the lake.

The Daily Mail reports a crew member has been arrested in connection with the rape of a British holidaymaker attacked as she was on a Mediterranean cruise with her parents. The 27-year-old woman was just hours into the 11-night when it is claimed she was targeted by the male crew member who is also 27 years old and who is believed to be part of the entertainment team. She was onboard the 1041ft Celebrity Equinox cruise liner which had left the Italian port of Civitavecchia last week and is due to arrive back there next week after stops in Pireaus, Greece, as well as Kusadasi in Turkey and the Greek islands of Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos. Police said the man was arrested just 17 hours after the Equinox left port and docked at the port of Messina on the Italian island of Sicily and last night he was still there in custody after discussions between them and the US Consulate. He is said to have met the woman in a bar on the three-year-old ship, which carries 2,850 passengers, and then spent several hours drinking with her and he then followed her back to her cabin when she said she was tired and going to bed.
The man then allegedly bundled her inside and threw her on the bed where he carried out the attack before escaping - leaving his shocked victim distraught. She told her parents who alerted the captain. The suspect is being held by police in the port of Messina, Sicily while they continue their investigation

Seatrade Insider reports four people were sent to hospital ashore after fire broke out in the galley section of the Dutch river cruise vessel early Friday while the ship was sailing the Rhine near Düsseldorf. All 102 passengers and some 30 crew were evacuated to a passing river vessel, and the fire was put out after about three hours with the help of a local firefighting brigade. According to the Duisburg Police, the fire was discovered at around 3:15 a.m. Passengers and crew were assembled on the forward part of the vessel with life jackets, where they were evacuated to the passing river vessel that transferred them first to the nearby Himmelgeist ferry landing and then on to Düsseldorf. An emergency physician and firemen examined the 134 evacuees during the 45-minute transit to Düsseldorf. Apart from the four sent to hospital, the other passengers, reportedly of British nationality, were taken to a Dusseldorf hotel. Several crew remained on Regina Rheni, which was boarded by local fire brigade teams to help contain the blaze. The blaze was contained to a storage room in the galley section, and the fire was put out at about 6:30 a.m. while the vessel was anchored off Düsseldorf-Himmelgeist. The storage room was destroyed. The cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage are under investigation.

The New York Times reports a long-decommissioned submarine faced the wake on Sunday from the ship as it was trying to dock at a nearby Hudson River pier. The wake rocked the submarine, the Growler, which has been one of the exhibits at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, at West 46th Street, since 1989. According to a spokeswoman for the museum, a gangway leading to the Growler was damaged when the cruise ship, the Norwegian Star, fired up its thrusters. The spokeswoman did not provide further details, and the Growler was open to visitors on Sunday. The retired aircraft carrier Intrepid, the centerpiece of the museum, was not affected. “In the process of maneuvering to its docking position, the ship experienced strong current conditions,” the Norwegian Star’s owners, Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement. “To keep the ship in its correct docking approach under these conditions, propulsion and thrusters were utilized which created a wake in the surrounding waters.” A spokesman for the Coast Guard said that what happened was normal for the New York waterfront.

From a passenger: I was appalled at the lack of attention given to the Muster drill on board this ship. We did not have to take our lifejackets to the drill. To me this is a huge mistake. Also at the Muster area on D4 we couldn't see the screen or hear what was being said. The attitude towards the muster area really concern me.

Muster drill

July 7

"Star Ship"

Ria Novsti reports a Cambodia-flagged cruise ship is in distress in the Sea of Japan, a rescue coordination official said on Saturday. The Star ship with 16 Russian crew members on board started taking on water in the early hours of Saturday, when it was some 90 miles off the port of Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East. The crew reported a leak in the ship’s engine unit. All people have been evacuated from the ship on board another cruise vessel which was sailing nearby and rushed to the Star’s aid. A rescue operation is under way.

The Guardian reports for daring to protest for little over an hour at their falling, meagre earnings – and despite the assurances of the ship's captain and P&O's British head office – the careers of about 150 people have been quietly, summarily ended. Just before Christmas last year, the letters arrived. Carnival had, they stated, listened to the crew. They were talking through the options for a "more guaranteed remuneration package at some point in the future". They were "working on a project to address the issues". As the Guardian reported in April, this new remuneration package would raise the lowest rate of basic pay to £250 a month. Additional bonuses, replacing tips, could be withheld from crew who failed to achieve satisfaction ratings of 92%. But Carnival's letter continued: "Unfortunately, the majority of the restaurant crew on the Arcadia chose not to wait … Instead these crew, which included yourself, chose to take industrial action … greatly impacting our customers. This behaviour is not something Carnival UK is prepared to tolerate." No waiter who took part in the protest would be re-engaged on any Carnival UK ship. Neither would they be offered any future contract by their employers, the Mumbai recruitment agency Fleet Maritime Service International. Enclosed was a letter from Fleet which added: "We have been provided with details regarding the situation from Carnival UK advising that they do not wish to re-engage you on a ship." It said that, "after careful consideration, we agree".

Royal Caribbean Blog reports three passengers won a court decision in Brazil after seeking compensation following a norovirus outbreak aboard the ship back in March 2010. The ship departed from Port Santos, Brazil when 348 people onboard were contracted norovirus.An attorney that specializes in consumer law, Ferrette Sueli Maria Gomes, was approached by three passengers dissatisfied with the consequences of the outbreak. One of the plantiffs was Freire Lourdes Domingues, 79, who was infected and claims to have almost died because of the norovirus. The other two passengers who sought legal action felt changed in Vision's itinerary caused greater injury to them since they were prevented from getting off the ship at their destinations. The trip included stops in Buzios, in Rio de Janeiro and Ilhabela in São Paulo coast. According to the lawyer, setting the value to be paid for each passenger fell to the judge, as Royal Caribbean did not offer to make a deal. The only deal the company was offering was a 25% discount on a future trip. Royal Caribbean had to pay about $33,000, including punitive damages and reimbursement of passages (R$ 2,994.00 each). The compensation was increased to Lourdes, due to contracting gastroenteritis. She received $12,000 in damages only. The other two tourists won £6,000 each by the hassles. Among the complaints made by passengers, is there being only one doctor to serve the people, without priority for children and seniors. Furthermore, it was alleged that the norovirus can spread via unwashed food and water, which was a possible sign of poor hygiene. When asked about the ruling, Royal Caribbean said in a written statement it is appealing the verdict

Pax win lawsuit over norovirus

June 27

Unknown

CNN reports rescuers pulled more than 130 people from the waters between Australia and Indonesia on Wednesday after a ship capsized. Merchant and naval vessels carried out the rescue effort about 107 nautical miles north of Australia's Christmas Island, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. By 3:50 p.m. (1:50 a.m. ET), 136 people had been rescued from about 150 believed to have been on board the ship when it turned over; one person was reported dead. The ship is the second to capsize in the area in the past week.

Sky News reports the cruise line has admitted it accidently emailed the details of more than 1,200 passengers to an undisclosed number of people. Cunard Line’s President and Managing Director Peter Shanks said: “ We had a mistake, a system issue, at the end of last week on Friday where we inadvertently and by mistake sent out an email which - didn’t contain any personal details - but had the email addresses of some customers on a number voyages. He added: “We recognised that within about 90 minutes and within two hours we sent a corrected email to all of our customers affected, we immediately shut down all of our systems and since then we’ve rebooked all those passengers with new details and we have accommodated and spoken to all of them and our systems are now up and running.” The issue first came to light after a member of an online cruise review website posted that he’d received an email with an attached file containing the names and email addresses of 1,225 passengers. Davyjones wrote: “This information would allow me to see all the information such as address, contact number and passport information that you need to enter before your cruise.” Mr Shanks has since reassured customers that no passport information or credit card numbers were sent out: “We reacted extremely quickly and to the best of our knowledge there are no issues at all, customers should not be worried and if they are then we will be well prepared to answer all the.”

From a passenger: We lost 4 out of 7 of our original islands due to weather (the cruise began one day late). One island was delayed due to a tender being dropped while it was being raised to the ship (rumour has it a broken winch brake) it caused the tender to drop from high (with 3 crew members aboard) and also caught fire. We were re-emburserd $50 due to this causing us to miss another island stop. The islands we made it to were Port Denarau, Suva, Vila and a new port was added: Mare. We lost Noumea, Mystery Island, Dravuni Island and isle of pines.

Missed ports

June 22

Unknown

CNN reports rescuers have saved 110 people from a ship that capsized in the waters between Australia and Indonesia and are searching for the many missing, an Australian official said Friday. The ship, that was carrying about 200 people, flipped over Thursday, authorities said, triggering the massive rescue effort. Authorities believe all the passengers in the ship were male. The survivors were being transported to Christmas Island. "Over the course of 36 hours from the time the boat capsized, my advice is that people can survive out there if they've got either life jackets or they are able to hold onto debris, as a lot of people did through the course of yesterday," an official said. "So the window is still there where we hold out the prospect of finding more people alive." On Thursday, authorities said the vessel was 110 nautical miles northwest of Christmas Island. Indonesia has sent two warships to assist Australian rescue efforts. Four more ships will be in the area Friday to help the ships and aircraft that are already searching.

Travel Agent Central reports a fan belt inside an AC unit in a crew area overheated and started generating smoke. There was not an actual fire and no smoke entered guest areas; the ship's crew responded immediately and all is well. Earlier, TravelAgentCentral.com had reported on an announcement by the cruise director and then the ship's captain about the situation. Here's that earlier report, based on what both individuals told the passengers onboard. Shortly after 8 a.m. Eastern time, or 2 p.m. ship's time, crew members from Alpha team, a special fire squadron onboard the new ship, Carnival Breeze, were summoned via the ship's public address system to a forward portion of the crew area on Deck O. Firescreen doors in the forward section of the ship closed as a precaution after smoke was discovered in the crew area, which caused an alarm to sound on the bridge. The Captain had explained to guests that the alarm had indicated the possibility of a fire in the forward crew area. He said that when the fire team arrived they found a rubber belt within the electrical system smoking. He said the team "extinguished it immediately" and the "ship is now continuing on as normal" and also told guests that the fire doors in the forward part of the ship would reopen soon. The ship is on a 12-night Mediterranean cruise roundtrip from Barcelona.

Cruise Critic reports that a message board member explained how four days before her June 11 four-night Bahamas cruise, a Royal Caribbean representative called to say her ship was overbooked and she was being bumped. She had booked the cruise, which departs from Port Canaveral, 10 days earlier in a guaranteed inside cabin. Though all cruise lines reserve the right in their cruise contracts to cancel, deviate or substitute a cruise for any reason, the common practice is to seek out volunteers and not force anyone off a ship that's been overbooked. "RCCL called to say that they apologize but they have overbooked this cruise so we have three choices," she wrote. According to a cruise line representative, she could trade in her inside guarantee for the same itinerary departing on the same day but from Miami, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from her home, on Majesty of the Seas. For her trouble, Royal Caribbean would provide an upgrade to an oceanview stateroom and an additional $100 onboard credit. A second option was to reschedule her cruise on Monarch of the Seas for a later date, with the same oceanview bump-up and $100 in onboard credit. Or she could simply cancel and get a full refund. Whichever option she chose, the one choice she wasn't given was for her cruise to take place on the ship and on the date she booked. After Zebra requested more compensation (the line ultimately raised the offer to $300 onboard credit), she chose the Miami alternative. But in her eyes this bumping was anything but voluntary. An effort at clarifying the issue with Royal Caribbean went unrewarded, as spokesman Harrison Liu would only tell Cruise Critic that “someone had volunteered and accepted compensation to reschedule their cruise vacation." Liu would not respond to requests for further clarification. As Cruise Critic says, "We're not sure if he's talking about the same person, but Zebra is sure she didn't volunteer." "We were not given the option at all to stay on the ship," Zebra told Cruise Critic in an e-mail. "They told us twice 'You have three options,' so we did not pursue the issue of staying on the Monarch."

Pax bumped - overbooked

June 19

Clipper Adventurer

CBC reports the Canadian Coast Guard is seeking almost half a million dollars in damages from the cruise ship MV Clipper Adventurer and its owners. The coast guard, through the federal government, launched a lawsuit on Friday. The ship ran aground near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, in August 2010 after hitting an uncharted rock shelf. The Coast Guard's Amundsen ship had to rescue the 128 passengers after the Clipper Adventurer's crew was unable to dislodge the vessel. The lawsuit says the damages are to prevent, repair or minimize pollution from the ship's grounding. The Coast Guard said that when the ship was grounded, 13 tanks aboard were breached. Some of those tanks held fuel, freshwater and sludge. Another Coast Guard ship, the Sir Wilfred Laurier, was sent to the site to monitor the salvaging of the ship and the potential pollution from the accident. The lawsuit claims the rock shelf was a known hazard to mariners since September 2007. The owners of the Clipper Adventurer filed a lawsuit against the federal government last spring saying they should have been given more information about the hazard.

Environmental

June 18

Unknown

The Eluetheran reports officers at the Central Detective Unit in Grand Bahama are continuing their investigations into an incident that resulted in the drowning death of a 61 year old US visitor from Pennsylvania who arrived on the island on Sunday morning June 17th, via cruise ship and was expected to depart the same afternoon. Police were notified about the incident at 12:21pm on Sunday and they responded to the scene in the Deadman’s Reef area where the female visitor along with a family member and other guests were snorkeling when she experienced some breathing difficulty. She was later transported to the Rand Memorial Hospitalvia ambulance where she was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty. There was 4 ships in port that day: Norwegian Gem, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Fantasy, a Royal Caribbean.

Cruise Critic reports a fire broke out onboard the ship on Saturday, 16 June as it was preparing to dock around 9:00 p.m. local time Saturday evening in the German port of Krefeld, when a cable caught fire in a technical room of the ship's engine department, producing heavy, billowing smoke. Two response groups from the fire brigade for the city of Krefeld, which lies northwest of Dusseldorf on the Rhine, were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, said the report. And passengers, who had been evacuated to a nearby restaurant and two waiting buses, were allowed to reboard the vessel shortly after operations completed at 10:30 p.m. There were no serious injuries among the 154 passengers and 34 crew onboard, although a German police spokesman reported that one woman, being treated for shock, required a hospital visit, and that one crewmember sustained minor injuries during the ship's evacuation. Reportedly, the ship will remain in Krefeld until Monday, although it is as yet unclear whether the ship's French owners will continue the cruise. The ship is on an Amsterdam to Strasbourg Rhine river cruise. The 176-passenger, 88-cabin vessel was launched in April of this year

Milford and West Wales Mercury reports the ship's visit to Milford Haven tomorrow (Friday June 15th) will be delayed due to the bad weather forecast to hit the area. The vessel has rescheduled its itinerary for the cruise and will now call into the Haven Waterway on Sunday, June 17th, in order that passengers can still visit Pembrokeshire.

Wales Online reports the ship limped into Holyhead after it developed an engine problem set sail last night; it made an unscheduled call to the Anglesey port after it got into difficulty off the Isle of Man just hours after leaving Liverpool on Tuesday. An electrical fault onboard the liner resulted in the loss of main engine power for three hours. The captain decided to return to port for repairs and sailed to Holyhead on just one engine. Repairs were carried out and he liner set sail at 10pm.

The Sheboygan Press reports the ship has canceled the first of seven planned visits to Sheboygan this summer over problems with the boat’s air conditioning, boiler and refrigeration systems, according to local tourism officials. The 138-passenger cruise ship, which was scheduled to make its first visit Monday, will now make its inaugural stop on June 28. UPDATE June 14: The Holland Sentinel reports the ship was scheduled to arrive at 7 a.m. Sunday, but that date has been moved to 7 a.m. Friday, June 29, due to refrigeration problems, said Felicia Fairchild, executive director of the Saugatuck-Douglas Convention & Visitors Bureau. Presumably, the ship's first cruise has been canceled.

The Daily Echo reports the ship delayed its departure from Southampton. A spokeswoman for Princess Cruises said: "Having completed her turnaround yesterday, Caribbean Princess remained alongside in Southampton overnight in order to resolve a technical issue. Caribbean Princess is due to start a British Isles cruise and her revised itinerary will be confirmed as soon as the departure time is known. Update June 12: The Liverpool Echo reports the Liverpool Cruise Terminal said yesterday’s scheduled visit was cancelled due to a technical fault which delayed the liner’s sailing from Southampton last Thursday. The ship continued straight to its other ports of call including Cobh, Dublin, Belfast, Greenock, Invergordon, South Queensferry, and Le Havre. Angie Redhead, Liverpool Cruise Terminal operations manager, said: “Due to an engineering fault on the ship while she was in Southampton, she was delayed leaving port which resulted in a reshuffle of the itinerary and Liverpool could not be incorporated.”

From a passenger: The ship was tendered off Makham Bay in Phuket on June 5th 2012. I was on the second to last tender returning to the ship at around 7.45pm. The boat looked really overcrowded. At the ship, there were two pontoons for the tender boats, one at forward and the other at aft. As we approached the ship, we had to wait for the preceding tender boat which was at the aft pontoon to clear. The currents and winds then got too strong for the tender boats to dock with the pontoon safely. We then proceeded to the front pontoon to try and dock with no success. The bow of our tender boat was drifting away from the pontoon. So the staff on the pontoon had to cut us loose and we drifted away from the ship. We then spotted the last tender of the day approaching us from behind. At one point it looked like it was going to hit us before both pilots increased the throttle and maneuvered us away. Passengers on both tender boats were screaming and shouting. To escalate things, the tender behind us approached the ship to dock which resulted in passengers thinking that there was a problem with our boat. All this while there was no RCI staff onboard the tender boat to explain the situation to us all. At this point a lady was going into panic and shock. Lifejackets were seen being passed around on the open deck of our tender boat, this again caused more panic. On the second attempt, the docking was unsuccessful again. But this time 2 passengers jumped off the tender boat onto the pontoon. This caused even more panic for us on board. There was a lot of shouting and chaos on the pontoon and at no time did any staff brief us of the situation. They cut us loose again for the second time. The lady fainted whilst we drifted back out. We then approached the aft pontoon for a third attempted. This time another passenger jumped off again before the tender boat was docked safely to the pontoon. We finally got docked after about ten minutes and everyone scuttled off the ship. The lady who fainted was brought off the tender boat by stretcher with oxygen masks and the likes. Total time we spent out over the water trying to dock was about one hour. There was no announcement nor follow up by the staff or captain of the ship whatsoever. The ship departed almost an hour late.

From a reader:The current cruise is delayed arriving in Sydney due to bad weather, which is causing the next cruise to leave 24 hours late. P&O have reportedly told some customers there will be no re-imbursement for the cruise being a day shorter. Final itinerary to be announced on Friday morning. The next cruise is now due to depart Sydney?s Wharf 5 Barangaroo at 4pm on Saturday 9 June 2012. In its correspondence to passenegrs, the company stated, "P&O Cruises will not be offering any compensation as a result of this weather related delay, as per our Terms & Conditions."

Cruise Critic reports due to adverse weather conditions enroute to Boston, the arrival on Sunday (June 3) will be delayed until about 10:00PM and boarding will start shortly thereafter. Check-in is still scheduled between 8:30 PM – 11:30 PM. Passengers will receive a $50 per person onboard credit. The ship is scheduled to depart on Monday morning at 11:00 AM. (The ship actually left at 12:40PM)

Fenceviewer reports the alleged discharge of soapy water into the harbor at Bar Harbor from the cruise ship as it was tied up to the town pier on Monday is being investigated by harbormaster Charlie Phippen. Mr. Phippen has reviewed video from town surveillance cameras, he said, and confirmed the apparent presence of soapy water floating beside the ship. Environmental testing is under way, and reports from the ship’s captain have been requested, Mr. Phippen said. UPDATE June 6:Fenceviewer reports the discharge was the result of crew error. The water was effluent from clothes washing machines on the ship; the overboard discharge valves to the forward washing machines had been left open. The town’s standard operating procedures for cruise ships outlines the expectation that all ships, whether at anchor in the bay or alongside the pier, will hold all waste water, including gray water, while in port. This is also the policy of the Independence while in port here, Mr. Phippen said, and all overboard discharge valves are supposed to be secured.

Globo (Brazil) reports a Brazilian woman working as an Assistant Waiter has disappeared from the ship -- she was last see on June 1 at 18:00h; authorities were notified of her disappearance yesterday at 15:00h. According to Italian news site "IlMattino", the ship had sailed from Malta towards Catania, and was about 30 km from the Sicilian coast when she disappeared. In a phone interview, the woman's brother confirmed the disappearance. "The Infinity Brazil, the company responsible for the recruitment of my sister called us yesterday. They said on Friday she usually worked in the morning, but appeared to shift from 18h. They searched the entire ship, but she not founf. The case was passed to the police and the coastguard. But so far nothing went for us. The only thing we know is that she's missing," he says. UPDATE: Globo reports (June 5) the company says video cameras show the woman jumping overboard at 2:00 AM on Saturday morning.

ITV News reports the ship has been diverted to Anglesey after suffering a power failure overnight. She became the first ship to start her voyage from Liverpool's new cruise liner terminal when she set sail from the city yesterday. An electrical fault caused the loss of main engine power for three hours overnight. Full power has now been restored but the ship was diverted to Hollyhead on Anglesey for checks.

Loss of power

May 28

Multiple ships

Cruise Critic reports a strike by state workers including Oslo Fjord port pilots is affecting cruise ships' calls to the Norwegian capital, with three ships forced to turn away over the weekend. All visiting ships are required to have a pilot onboard for the approach to port. But with Oslo's 42 pilots on strike, Emerald Princess was forced to turn away from the port last Friday, while Star Clippers' Star Flyer cancelled a call on Saturday and Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas was diverted to Gothenburg on Sunday. A statement from Royal Caribbean said: “Vision of the Seas was unable to dock in Oslo on Sunday, May 27, as originally planned. Because of this, it was necessary to modify Vision of the Seas' boarding and debarking process on Sunday. Vision of the Seas arrived in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Sunday, and guests were transported to and from Oslo via motor coach.” Update: Cruise and Ferry reports the pilots’ strike that has seen a number of cruise ships unable to dock at Norway's Oslo Fjord after pay talks broke down between public sector workers and the Oslo municipality on 23 May, is expected to impact on other Norwegian ports as the dispute extends nationwide. Action spreading across the country means that the number of striking boat pilots has increased from 42 to 103, so that cruise vessels requiring compulsory pilots will not be permitted to berth at most of Norway’s ports from 30 May. The Norwegian Coastal Adminstration said: “At this stage, it is the drivers of the pilot boats that have been brought out on strike. The consequence of this is that the Norwegian Coastal Administration cannot transfer pilots to and from vessels. Those affected by the strike are therefore those vessels that are subject to compulsory pilotage. Most of the Norwegian Coastal Administration's pilot boat stations will be closed with effect from 07.00 on Wednesday.” UPDATE June 3:The Norwegian Coastal Administrators have announced the dispute has been settled and the strike ended overnight June 2.

Yahoo News reports that Katy McCaffrey had her phone stolen while taking part in a Disney Cruise Line vacation. The pictures being automatically uploaded from her iPhone appear to show a Disney Cruise employee named "Nelson" in various poses using the phone's camera. So McCaffrey contacted Disney but not before posting the pictures to a hilarious Facebook page she's entitled, "Stolen iPhone Adventures." "It was stolen on board the Disney Wonder cruiseline back in April. His photos are just making it to my photostream," she writes on the page. McCaffrey has also written her own captions for "Nelson's" photos, including: [H]ere's a beautiful sunset Nelson had time to capture, all on my stolen iPhone." And now, New York Magazine reports that Disney has confiscated the allegedly stolen iPhone and placed "Nelson" on leave while they investigate the incident.

Stolen iPhone

May 24

Number 7 Mingzhu Cruise

CRI News (China) reports the ship collided with a bridge in the city of Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang province on Wednesday, damaging two of the ship's funnels, Xinhua News Agency reports. No casualties were reported and the degree of damage to the Wenzhou Bridge will be assessed shortly. According to the report, four tugboats were pulling a new cruise ship, named the No. 7 Mingzhu Cruise, traveling past the Wenzhou Bridge in the Ou Jiang River on Wednesday morning. Upon colliding with the bridge, the structure started to sway and crowds nearby were heard screaming. The cruise ship was hauled past the bridge and stopped at the Wuniu wharf. After initial accident investigations, the Wenzhou Maritime Safety Administration said that the cruise ship sustained no major damage but stated that the funnels needed repairing. Experts have said that the damage caused to the Wenzhou Highway Bridge, must be assessed.

WPBF-TV reports Lillian Hensley is still shaky over what was supposed to be a fun cruise with her family on a five-day Carnival cruise to Jamaica. Her disabled daughter Christine requires nightly dialysis. Hensley said she got clearance from Carnival to bring on board a portable dialysis machine. Shortly after checking in Saturday, Hensley said she got a call from the ship's staff saying they couldn't find their luggage or the dialysis machine. "I said, 'My daughter cannot live without the dialysis,'" said Hensley. "They said, 'Well, then, get off the ship. You've got to get off the ship.' I said, 'I'm not leaving without her equipment and her supplies.'" In a statement, Carnival said there was some question at the time that the dialysis machine made it on board. "Given that it is imperative that Ms. Hensley have her dialysis equipment in order to sail, it was decided it would be in her best interest that she disembark the vessel," the statement read. "I said, 'Without everything? You're giving me like a death sentence for my daughter,'" said Hensley. But she said Carnival staff called security and escorted the family off the ship. Hensley and her family were stranded in Miami without a ride back to Boynton Beach as the ship set sail with the dialysis machine and their luggage. Carnival subsequently apologized.

From a passenger: I was a passenger on board the Thomson Dream on the 20 night Caribbean Crossing Itinery starting on 15th April 2012. On 2nd May 2012 we were approaching Gibralter at approx 9.30 am in calm seas (in the straits) when the ship made 2 very sudden manouvers. The 2nd of which resulted in the ship seriously tilting to port side. The water from the pool poured out and pots etc could be heard crashing. We were on deck by the pool and expected to hear the alarm for our life jackets. Nothing happened & the ship gradually righted itself over several minutes. Passengers were distressed & crying. There were reports of injuries (scaldings) but no announcement was made by the captain. After 24 hours & numerous complaints, he finally said sorry & announced that it had been caused by a “slip of the hand”. From an other passenger: Further to the report appearing as dated 25 May (should it be 20th?) on the Thomson Dream, I can confirm that the incident happened on 2 May exactly as reported. In addition to the damage reported there was crockery in the restaurants broken and a display case in the Jewellery shop that topped over and in the process broke the display glass, its lighting and' that this rendered the cabinet both unusable or repairable. We were in the cabin at the time and items on top of the dressing table and bedside cabinets slid onto the floor. The Captain made an announcement the following evening and although difficult to hear this from the cabin he said something along the lines that:- It had been brought to his attention that some passengers were frightened by a manoeuvre that was made the previous morning and he would like to apologise. He (the Captain) had not commented the previous day because to him it was a "completely normal manoeuvre". He went on to explain that he had to enter the shipping lanes at 90 degrees!!! but that if in doing so he frightened anybody then he apologised. What utter bull! The Captain surely could have thought up a better explanation than that-why do these people treat us like idiots?. The ship did list a substantial amount and although I suspect it was nowhere near to putting the ship in peril, it was certainly enough to have every passenger feeling uncomfortable for a short time. In the circumstances the truth would have been appreciated rather than the laughable explanation that we were given.

Severe list

May 17

Unknown

Bermuda Sun reports a cruise ship passenger today admitted using drugs to deal with stress caused by his mother’s terminal cancer. Jonathan Cruz, 26, of Brooklyn, New York pleaded guilty to possession of 12 grams of cannabis on May 16 in Sandys. The court heard at 1:52pm that day, customs officers were conducting searches in Dockyard on the ship. The ship wasn’t named in court. A sniffer dog alerted the officers to Cruz’s cabin. When the officers entered the cabin, the dog alerted them to the safe where they found a partially smoked homemade cigarette and a plastic bag with plantlike material. Later that day, Cruz was arrested and admitted the drugs were his.

Greenock Telegraph reports 30 passengers stricken by a vomiting bug on cruise the ship remain in isolation. More than 1,000 people are on board the liner, including 828 holidaymakers, which is due to dock in Funchal in Madeira today. The ship left Greenock on 7 May on a 13-night cruise to the Canary Islands. The Daily Mail sunsequently reported 170 passengers (about 20%) had reported ill.

Bermuda News reports a 30-year-old American cruise passenger, Trevis Gembarowski, pleaded guilty to two charges involving the possession of 7.16 grams of Cannabis and 0.88 grams of Ecstasy. A Bermuda Customs canine in a ‘sniffer dog’ team had alerted to illegal drugs in cabin 8597. The cabin, unoccupied at the time, was entered and searched and white powder and wrapped plant material was found in a duffel bag and a case. Later that day, on his return to the ship, Mr Gembarowski was approached by Customs and Police. Mr Gembarowski admitted that the items belonged to him. He was then taken off the ship to Somerset Police Station. This morning, Gembarowski told Senior Magistrate Archie Warner that the drugs were: “For my personal use to party while I was on the cruise.” He also told the Magistrate: “The ship leaves tonight. I hope I can raise enough money to pay a fine and that I don’t have to miss the ship.” He was fined Gembarowski $800 on the charge of possessing the cannabis and another $800 for possessing the Ecstasy powder. Both fines must be paid forthwith.

Cruise Fever reports the ship will undergo an extensive cleaning when the ship arrives back in Port Everglades on Sunday morning. Carnival sent out an email to all the passengers of Sunday’s cruise that embarkation will not begin until 1:30pm so the ship can be thoroughly cleaned. The ship is scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale, FL at 4:00pm Sunday for a 6 night cruise stopping in Key West, FL, Grand Cayman Island, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. There has been no official word from Carnival on whether the cruise will depart at a later time, although it is likely to be pushed back an hour or two to allow for proper embarkation. Passengers have reported that virus like symptoms have spread not only on this current sailing, but also on sailings as far back as April 21, 2012.

Cruise Law News reports there has been a whirlwind of media attention this week surrounding allegations by a masseuse that John Travolta sexually harassed and assaulted him in Hollywood earlier this year. TMZ posted the lawsuit on line. The lawsuit reads like a pornographic paperback. Travolta denies the lurid allegations in what is being called the "massage lawsuit." A second masseuse also came out with allegations of similar conduct by Travolta. Now, there's a third sexual harassment allegation involving another similar lawsuit recently filed against Travolta - this time by a cruise line employee. Chilean Fabian Zanzi, a former employee of Royal Caribbean Cruises, alleges that in May 2009 Travolta was cruising aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship as a guest. As reported by ABC.es, Zanzi was working as a manager on the unidentified Royal Caribbean cruise ship and was responsible for taking care of VIP's. Travolta "said he had something on his neck. I thought it was a fuzz. As I approached, he took off his white coat and was naked. He hugged me and asked me to do a massage." Zanzi said that Travolta offered him $12,000 to have sex with him, but he refused. According to Zanzi, he reported the incident to his supervisors at Royal Caribbean who not only did not believe him but confined him to his cabin. Royal Caribbean later fired him. Zanzi originally told his story to Peru's 24 Hours. The allegations have been circulating in newspapers in South America. I suppose it's only a matter of time before TMZ or another TV tabloid picks up on the John Travolta-harasses-cruise-employee lawsuit story.

Channel 2 Houston reports Dr. Jack Kruse, a neurosurgeon from Nashville, went on the ship on Sunday to give a speech about his unique diet plan. Instead, he ended up as a bio-terrorism suspect. "They blew up the room looking for things. They went through my bags," said Kruse. "I had no idea what I was being accused of. They went out of their way not to tell me. When I tell you this was a scene out of (the TV show) '24,' that's exactly what it was like." The investigation began after a threatening tweet was sent from a Twitter account that uses Kruse's name. It mentioned him having a vial of a disease for a "bio hack" on the ship. Someone notified Carnival. The cruise line called the FBI, prompting agents and Port of Galveston police to board the ship. Kruse was questioned and taken off of the ship. "It was beyond me how one tweet could cause this kind of trouble," he said. Investigators discovered that the tweet didn't come from Kruse. Instead, it came from a parody account that uses his name. Kruse said Carnival sent out a letter to passengers on Monday saying the FBI confirmed the threatening message didn't come from him. But Carnival said he was taken off the ship because the investigation was still ongoing and the cruise line takes all security threats seriously.

The Local reports the liner rammed into the "Urd" car ferry last Thursday. None of the passengers were injured. The 191-metre "Nils Holgersson" rammed the stationary "Urd" after it failed to turn sufficiently as it came into port. The collision ripped a 16-square-metre hole into the ferry's hull, including a vertical tear below the waterline. "The ship collided with the ferry, which was in port, almost at a right angle," coast guard spokesman Karsten Dose told the Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper. Using 'black box' data from the ship, coast guard investigators were able to establish that the engine was not set to "harbour mode", seriously limiting its manoeuvrability, and preventing the captain from reversing the ship. The coast guard say this could only have been the captain's error, and they are currently attempting to find out how the accident happened. He is not thought to have been drinking. The relatively undamaged "Nils Holgersson" has been taken to the Landskrona port in Sweden, while the heavily damaged "Urd" is currently still in the Travemünde port.

The Bermuda Sun reports an American tourist allegedly strapped $369,000 worth of cocaine to her body and came to Bermuda on board a cruise ship. Jane Howell Carmichael, 53, was charged today with conspiring with others not before the court to import cocaine between a date unknown and May 3. The Georgia native was also charged with possession of cocaine with intent to supply on May 3. Acting on information they received, the police boarded the ship and met with the defendant. After a search of her cabin, Ms Carmichael allegedly admitted having the drugs strapped to her body. Officers then found four off-white packages inside a girdle. Ms Carmichael was remanded into custody until May 21.

Tampa Bay Online reports a former assistant cruise director has agreed to plead guilty to a federal child pornography charge after he had sex with and exchanged explicit photos with a 16-year-old passenger (see March 6 below). Senad Djedovic, 29, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, faces up to ten years in federal prison after he pleads guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, according to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court on Monday (he did not plead guilty to sexual assault of a minor). Djedovic met the Minnesota girl during a seven-day cruise she was on with her parents betwee Jan. 29 and Feb. 5. The pair had a sexual encounter in a staircase, according to a federal complaint affidavit. He knew the girl was 16 when the two had sex, according to his plea agreement. Djedovic told investigators he gave the girl his work email address because his girlfriend had access to his personal email, the complaint states. He "admitted to exchanging a lot of emails with" the girl in the ensuing weeks. The emails started the day the girl and her parents left the ship. In one email, according to the complaint, he wrote, "I wish you said yes way earlier than the last day because we would have way more fun. I miss you big time…you little young girl." The two also sent each other "naughty" photos of themselves, the complaint states. The FBI recovered at least 13 graphic photographs of the girl from Djedovic's work computer, according to the complaint. Agents also recovered other sexually explicit pictures that appeared to depict other minor teens. Djedovic came to the attention of authorities after he showed several crew members pictures of the girl, telling them she was 16 years old, according to the complaint. According to his plea agreement, he started working for Norwegian Cruise Lines in 2006 and served aboard approximately seven vessels in the fleet. From a reader: I read this page often and I literally gasped out loud when I saw this name come up. Senad was one of my Cabin Mates on the NCL Jewel back in 2007! We always thought something was up and he was a very odd guy. He'd always brag about having stolen X amount of pairs of underwear from girls, taking them into closets and into rooms on the ships where cameras couldn't see and fool around with them. He would often peek his head under my bunk's curtain in the mornings and say "wakey wakey hand off snakey." It also seemed like he'd try to catch me in an inappropriate manner quite often. I have to say nothing truly rose a red flag big enough to make any of us say anything to NCL management but i was extremely suprised by this yet not, at the same time. He was always creepy and saying gross things. t

From a passenger: Delay in disembarking this morning. All guests leaving this morning were stopped from doing so after 7.00am. Guests were told no one can leave due to a customs search then at around 8.30 they said it was due to a IT error and all passengers had to be manually checked. Guests departing between 615 and 700 luckily managed to do so, myself being one of them. I had a 915 flight from Southampton Airport which I caught, but many others didn't.

Delayed disembarkation

May 5

Unknown

Sky News reports an emergency flight has crashed near the Dutch Caribbean island of St Maarten while carrying a cruise ship passenger from Cyprus who suffered heart trouble on his honeymoon. Four people are dead. A nurse at the St Maarten Medical Centre says the plane was carrying the unidentified Greek tourist to the French island of Martinique early on Saturday for specialised cardiac care. The nurse declined to be identified because she was not authorised to release the information. A doctor and nurse also were aboard the plane.

From a passenger: While turning in Aarhus, Denmark before docking we hit part of the port pier/wall, not sure about the exact English term, with the aft of the ship. Wall was pushed in quite a bit and back of the ship below the name bent in a bit and some black marks from the impact. Impact was felt (if you were a cruiser) - I was in a lounge near the back talking and felt it, first thought it was a tug pushing us but rushed outside to see the tug next to us and the damage to the port wall. Dent/scratches were painted over already in Arhus, in Copenhagen next day only the dents were still visible. No announcement or mention of it onboard whatsoever...pretty typical cruise line behaviour I guess (otherwise loved the ship+staff, so dont wanna sound too critical). Here are some pics.

The Huffinton Post reports the ship while trying to dock Friday morning lost control and grazed the side of the Intrepid, officials and witnesses said. "This morning at approximately 8:30 a.m., a Norwegian Cruise ship grazed Pier 86, the home of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, as it was turning to pull into Pier 88," an Intrepid staffer confirmed. "The Museum is inspecting the pier for damage but it appears minimal at this time." The ship — which was on its first trip to New York this season — was struggling to dock Friday morning because of heavy winds and choppy waters, Norwegian Cruise Line officials said in an email. WItnesses said the massive ship tried to reverse course in order to dock, but was unsuccessful. "He tried four times, up and back, up and back, four times," said Drago Ivanko, an elevator porter on Pier 88, referring to the ship operator. "It was windy, low tide. When there's low tide, the river started going a little faster." John Chiaradio, 49, who was on the cruise with his wife, Sheli, said he could feel the impact. "He hit about mid-ship on the starboard side," said Chiaradio, of Bristol, Conn. "It was loud. It sounded like sticks breaking. Big sticks." There were no injuries reported.

KIRO-TV reports an early-morning fire swallowed a 105-foot luxury touring vessel at Fisherman’s Terminal. The ship was fully engulfed in flames when the Seattle Fire Department arrived at the terminal around 1 a.m. on Friday. Owner Dan Blanchard was on the boat with an engineer when the fire broke out. He told KIRO 7 News reporter Rick Price that he and the engineer had to shimmy down a mooring line to reach the dock and get away from the fire. “It’s just starting to set in. I'm just thankful that Steve and I made it off the boat OK,” said Blanchard. Firefighters boarded the boat for a brief time before being forced out to fire defensively, Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore said. Crews set up a perimeter around the vessel. Blanchard said he heard a strange pop, and in the minutes the boat was filled with smoke and flames were shooting up its sides. “We couldn't even get back to get our phones. It moved so fast that we actually had to go over the side to get to the dock. We shimmied down the lines and fell in,” said Blanchard. A Seattle-based Coast Guard boat enforced a safety zone around the terminal and deployed a containment and absorbent boom to reduce potential environmental damage. The fire burned for hours into the morning. Nine hours after the fire erupted, the hulk was still smoking. Moore said the fire was under investigation. No cause will be determined Friday because once the boat cools off, it still needs to be inspected by a marine engineer to determine whether it's safe for investigators to go aboard, he said. The yacht was set to leave on May 5 on an Alaskan cruise. One of four boats in the fleet, its destruction means Blanchard is scrambling to accommodate passengers.

WPTV reports four young women boarded the ship at the Port of Palm Beach Saturday for an experience they hoped they would always remember. "It will be memorable but not necessarily in a good way," said Mallory Barnett, who lives in Tampa. At about 2:15 Sunday morning, Barnett, staying in Cabin 3311, says they heard a 'gurgling' noise coming from their restroom. "I walked into the bathroom and the shower drains were overflowing and so was the sink and they were full of sewage water," said Barnett. "It was brown and disgusting, and the smell was unmistakable." Passenger Tracy Mendoza snapped several photographs showing brown sludge oozing out of each drain, including the sink and the shower. The passengers said the mystery liquid spread though their cabin's carpet and even spilled out into the hallway. "It soon became apparent that this was not just water, it was coming literally pouring out of the walls," said Mendoza. The women ran to the Celebration's front desk for help, then all four bunked in one cabin waiting for a cleanup they said took hours. A male passenger next door seemed to be dealing with a similar situation. "He was at least ankle deep in the sewage water," said Barnett. A spokesman for the company said the drainage system in the ship's galley, or kitchen, overflowed, impacting passengers in ten cabins. Spokesman Glenn Ryerson said the passengers affected were taken care of by staff on board. Ryerson said his staff is in the process of contacting every passenger that was affected by this incident to offer reimbursement for any damaged items as well as a free cruise. It is unclear how many of the passengers will take the offer.

A report fron St. Kitts and Nevis say two American citizens on board the ship on Friday were arrested after the ship’s security and the local Customs Department carried out a search of a cabin in which a quantity of vegetable material suspected to be cannabis was found. Lena Lugar and Chad Brown both of Richmond, Virginia in the United States were held by police and taken before the Magistrate in Sandy Point where they both pleaded guilty. They were each fined EC$800.00 (approximately US$300) forthwith or 30 days in prison. The fines were paid and they were transported back to the ship.

Shiptracker dot com reports passengers were alerted by a bang on 7.45 p.m. on Apr 20, 2012, followed by development of smoke. Soon afterwards fire instructions were given to the crew. Shortly thereafter the captain informed the passengers that there had been an incident in the engine and that all watertight bulkheads had been closed. The entire section 6, apparently the section that includes Viking Crown Lounge, was evacuated. Some passengers on board were shocked, however, no one was injured. The ship drifted between one and two hours before continuing with the only one functioning machine left after the small and short-lived engine fire was extinguished by using the ship's high fog system which had been immediately activated to contain the fire. The ship was sailing from St. Maarten to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The ship is expected back in Port Everglades on Apr 22. UPDATE: The ship arrived back in Fort Lauderdale early in the morning of Apr 22 as scheduled. In the engine room 2 fire nobody was injured, and the next sailing started on time in the evening. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. During the fire the ship had to change course briefly on its way from St. Maarten to Fort Lauderdale to keep smoke from blowing back inside the vessel. Black smoke had been billowing out of the top stacks. However, there was no visible smoke in passenger areas. Persons dining at the Chefs Table at the time were asked to move from the area for about 20 minutes, whilst the extract fans did their job. There was no panic around the ship, only a couple of youngsters showed concern, and some parents went to meet up with family members. Auxiliary power was running as at no time did the power, lights, air conditioning or water go out.

The Daily Mail reports a cruise ship worker who filmed himself abusing children left in his care aboard luxury Cunard liners has admitted attacks on 13 youngsters. Paul Trotter, 34, pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults and taking, making and possessing indecent images of children, most of whom were under the age of 13 at the time. The supervisor, who worked in the children's play zones, made films of himself abusing the children on three cruise ships, including Queen Mary 2 and its sister vessel Queen Elizabeth. He also possessed other indecent images of children he had obtained online. He admitted 12 counts of sexual assaulting a child under the age of 13, one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 13, five counts of taking indecent images of a child, five of making indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child. The offences were committed from November 2007 to August 2011 when he arrested by Wiltshire Police's child abuse investigation unit.

From a passenger:My family just came back from a cruise where all three of us were violently ill along with unconfirmed reports of up to 1000 other passengers. People started getting GI-related symptoms on Thursday 4/12/2012 when we were leaving Nassau. The cruise was from New York, to Port Canaveral to Great Stirrup Cay to Nassau & back to New York. Symptoms resolved within 24 hours.

MSNBC reports a passenger jumped overboard yesterday into the Pacific Ocean and was quickly rescued by the ship's crew. In a statement provided to Cruise Critic, Carnival said witnesses saw a 28-year-old man jumping off the ship as it steamed for Hawaii on the fourth day of a 15-night cruise. Search-and-rescue operations were initiated and the passenger was located and brought back on board, where he received treatment at Spirit's medical center.

Panama Guide reports three Panamanian fishermen adrift at sea missed a chance for rescue on 10 March 2012 because the Captain of the ship decided to ignore them. Three American birdwatchers on the cruise ship spotted the fishermen in their tiny, stricken fishing boat and alerted the ship's crew. The cruise ship passengers were convinced the men on the fishing boat were, in fact, frantically signaling for help. Two of the people on the boat, 18 year old Adrian "Santi" Vasquez, and 16 year old Fernando Osario, had spotted the cruise ship and were doing everything they could to attract attention to themselves, and to let the people on the cruise ship know they needed to be rescued. "It was a really big, white ship. I was waving a red t-shirt, and Fernando was waving a bright orange life jacket over his head. For a minute it looked like they were going to turn to come for us, but then they just went on their way," said "Santi" Vasquez yesterday afternoon, in an exclusive interview granted to www.panama-guide.com. All three of the Panamanian fishermen were still alive on the day the three birdwatchers on the Star Princess spotted them, and recognized they were in trouble. The oldest of the three, 24 year old Oropeces Betancourt, died during the following night, and 16 year old Fernando Osario died five days later. If the Captain of the Star Princess had believed the three birdwatchers and sent a boat to rescue the three men, all three of them could have survived.The amazing survival story about the eventual rescue of Adrian Vasquez by an Ecuadoran fishing vessel near the Galapagos Islands more that 650 miles from shore after spending 28 days adrift at sea and his emotional return to his family in Panama was widely reported by both local and international media, but this is the first time the story of the missed opportunity for rescue by the Star Princess cruise ship has been reported, anywhere. Also see subsequent stories on Oregon Live andThe Guardian.

Cruise Law News reports the cruise-ferry , which operates between Oslo and Fredrikshavn in Denmark, was hit by an explosion in its engine room over the Easter weekend. The explosion sparked a fire. A newspaper in Norway reports that "alarmed residents south of Drøbak called emergency services when they saw smoke billowing from the ship and noted that it was off course in the sound leading into the inner Oslo Fjord." A Stena Line spokesman confirmed that the explosion created a lot of smoke but claimed it was contained by the vessel’s sprinkling system in the engine room. The vessel drifted for a brief period but was able to continue sailing towards Oslo, where it arrived around 30 minutes late.
1,392 passengers and a crew of 180 were on on board at the time of the explosion and fire, although no evacuation took place.

The Daily Mirror reports engine problems have forced the ship to abandon its maiden voyage. The vessel is in harbour at Valencia, Spain, awaiting repairs and passengers will be flown home to the UK on Monday. The new flagship of Saga Cruises' fleet should have been returning to Southampton next Wednesday (April 18) at the end of an inaugural cruise which was delayed by a week because its multi-million pound refit overran, but passengers due to join the next voyage have now been told they will be flown to Marseille on April 25. Plans for a gala welcome in Lisbon tomorrow (Sunday) have been abandoned and will be re-scheduled for May 3 when it is expected Sapphire will be in the port together with sister ships Saga Ruby and Saga Pearl II. The ship was formerly Bleu de France - originally built 30 years ago as Europa. Saga took delivery in November 2010 and the ship spent four months at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily for an extensive refit. Strikes among workers concerned about redundancies were blamed for the delay in completing the work, which included reducing the number of cabins - cutting passenger capacity from 752 to 706 - and creating new restaurants and bars. The work was also expected to include an overhaul of the main engines, and maintenance of the tailshaft, rudder and propellers. A spokesman for Saga confirmed that a problem had been encountered with one of the ship's two main engines when Captain Alastair McLundie realised it was not operating properly. While it would have been possible to continue to run the ship on only one engine, a decision was taken to cut the cruise short for repairs to be carried out. Replacement parts are being flown to Valencia and the company is carrying out what it describes as a "forensic engineering inspection" to discover the cause of the problem. Passengers will receive a full refund for the cost of their abbreviated cruise, plus a discount for a future booking.

Cruise Law News reports A newspaper in St. Kitts & Nevis, the Observer, reports that police are investigating a sexual assault involving a cruise ship passenger visiting the island last week. on Tuesday. The newspaper states that the local police confirmed that a report had been made by a female cruise passenger that she was sexually assaulted while aboard a catamaran tour. The woman was a passenger aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas cruise ship, which had docked at Port Zante earlier that morning. According to the Observer: " . . . the alleged incident took place in the bathroom of the catamaran while it was docked in Nevis. Information received was that the female reported the incident when the vessel returned to St. Kitts at the end of the tour; the young woman was aboard the catamaran with a family member. Police confirmed that she was taken to JNF Hospital where she underwent several routine tests for sexual assault reports."

SKNVibes reports that sometime after 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Apr. 4) police were informed by the Security Manager of St. Christopher Air and Sea Port Authority, Raymond Cotton, that approximately two grams of what was suspected to be cannabis sativa were found aboard the ship while docked at Port Zante. Police arrived at Port Zante sometime after 8:30 a.m., a search was conducted and the drugs were found inside a cabin. A dog from the Custom Canine Division was used to conduct further searches in the area where the cannabis was found but no more of the illegal drugs were located.
No one was arrested.

The Australian reports 70 tourists are stranded on board a Dutch polar exploration ship at South Georgia Island in the southern Atlantic after the ship experienced a partial engine failure on April 9th. The ship was lying under anchor off a pier in a bay outside South Georgia's small port of Grytviken - a former whaling station and now a popular stop-off spot for cruise ships visiting Antarctica, Mark van der Hulst said. "The ship is anchored off a pier in South Georgia after suffering partial loss of her engine. She is safe and sound and there is no danger for passengers," he said. "She is waiting for another passenger ship to pick them up and bring them to Montevideo, from where they will be flown home." The 291-foot (89-meter) Plancius was then expected to make her way under her own steam to Montevideo for an inspection, Van der Hulst said. Dutch tour operator Inezia, which organizes the Atlantic Odyssey tours mainly as a bird-watching expedition, said the ship experienced engine trouble Tuesday afternoon. "It had visited Antarctica and was on its way through the Atlantic to the Cape Verdean islands," Inezia's owner Pieter van der Luit said.

The Daily Mail reports around 200 undergraduates stripped naked, smashed glasses and overturned furniture during a night of havoc on the ferry last week. The early-morning ferry was sailing from Dover to Calais on Sunday April 1 when students from the University of Manchester clashed with rivals from the Manchester Metropolitan University in the ship’s bar. Students from the two Manchester universities caused a mass brawl onboard. Passengers, many with young children, had to be moved to a secure room for their own safety. Crew members said many of the students, who were going skiing, were drunk before they boarded the ship. It has been reported that students were seen dancing on the tables and were even exposing themselves. Men and women are believed to have been streaking and fighting at the bar and a P&O spokeswoman said they were forced to take all non-university passengers to an area of the ship which is usually an exclusive lounge so they were 'out of harm's way'.

From a passenger: We were in Grand Turk on Wednesday April 4, 2012. There was a diving accident. Rumor was that a 17 year old drowned. Ship was delayed an hour as cruise medical staff was onsite. At least one family member stayed behind on the island with the injured diver. Cruise Law News reports the death occured on a ship-sponsored shore excursion. It also cites a police report that mentions two recent snorkeling deaths on the island, including a 80 year old tourist and and a 62 year old described as a cruise passenger.

WSB Radio reports a 49-year-old woman is missing while on shore excursion in Mexico. She and her husband were on a diving trip along the Santa Rosa wall on March 28th, when she disappeared. Scott Turco says his wife gave him a signal that she wanted to come back up to the surface. "I turned to let the dive master know that were going up and when I turned back I didn't see her, so I assumed that had started to go up without me," said Turco. Her daughter says her mother has been on nearly a dozen dives before. "They think she might've gotten just a little too far away from the wall and got pulled in the down current," the daughter said.

From a passenger: On 25 March the ship was overtaken by a container ship, the MSC LAUREN, in a very close quarter situation. Weather conditions were fine and seas were open. The ship was sailing south of Sicily at about 17 kts on a voyagefrom Kuwait to Hamburg. As we know since the sinking of the Costa Concordia and the claims of Capt. Schettino, that his company and others like to pass extremely close certain geographical co-ordinates, the same seems to be the philosophy of another cruise ship company too - to meet company ships as well as in a close-up situation of less than 100 meters. The MSC LAUREN approached the MSC LIRICA from starboard aft - she came closer and closer and once the LAUREN was abeam the distance was less than one cable. See the photos. Whistles were blowing, passengers waving and none of them was aware about the high risk in case of a blackout or engine or rudder-failure on one of the ships. This practice is inconsistent good bridge management practices.

Huffington Post reports ateenage girl is suing Carnival Cruise Lines in Miami's federal court, accusing employees of having conducted an aggressive strip and cavity search when she was an underaged passenger on board a cruise last year. "J.G.", then 17, says security staff forced her to strip, urinate, remove a tampon, and have her genitals examined last April while under suspicion of marijuana possession. The incident occurred after the Carnival Sensation out of Cape Canaveral made a stop in the Bahamas on April 27. When J.G., her mother, and a 15-year-old friend returned to the boat, a security employee sharing their elevator claimed to have found a small baggie filled with "green leaves" in the group's wake. Mayank Thapa and two other Carnival employees approached J.G. in her cabin and began interrogating her. The suit states that J.G. was not informed of her rights, nor told that her mother could be present. [Read the court complaint at Courthouse News, via Miami New Times.] With an employee blocking the door, the girls said they feared for their safety. Thapa and the agents reportedly threatened J.G. repeatedly, saying if she confessed, her interrogation would stop and she could continue her cruise. J.G. then admitted the bag was hers. But even after confessing, she says, the agents continued demanding to know "where the rest of it was," searching her cabin and purse. The guards then told J.G., to remove her underwear and lift her dress, forcing her into the restroom and watching while she urinated. She was then told to remove a tampon and her "genital cavity was inspected visually" by a female Carnival employee, though the two male employees were present to watch.
With nothing found in or on her person, J.G. was then turned over to the Bahamian police, who placed her in an adult holding cell until the next day. There, J.G. alleges, she was assaulted. Seeking unspecified damages over $75,000, the lawsuit filed in March alleges counts of negligence, fraud and misrepresentation, assault, sexual harassment, battery, emotional distress, breach of contract, and punitive damages. Carnival Corporation PR Manager Vance Gulliksen told HuffPost Miami in an emailed statement that the teen's allegation are "patently false," "obviously" made in retaliation for Carnival having removed the girl and her mother from the cruise before the voyage in Nassau was over. Guilliksen said Carnival does not normally comment on pending litigation, but felt "compelled to do so given the far-fetched claims."

The BBC reports the search for a woman missing from a ferry in the English Channel will not resume.
The ship was en route from the Channel Island of Guernsey to Poole in Dorset when the alarm was raised at about 17:30 BST on Sunday. A major air and sea search of the routes was suspended after five hours. Coastguard rescue helicopters from Portland and La Hague, lifeboats from Weymouth and Alderney, Channel Islands Air Search and the French Coastguard were all involved in the search. An MCA spokesman said the temperature of the water had been the deciding factor in the decision to call off the search on Sunday night.

Bloomberg News reports cruise line officials are meeting with attorneys this morning and scrambling to ensure the ship can sail from Galveston as planned today. On Friday, a U.S. judge ordered the cruise ship held in Galveston as part a $10 million lawsuit filed by the family of a German tourist who died aboard the Costa Concordia. “The court finds that the conditions for an attachment of defendants’ joint and collective property within this district, mainly the MS Carnival Triumph, appear to exist upon an admiralty and maritime claim,” U.S. Magistrate Judge John Froeschner of Galveston said in the warrant. The ship would be allowed to unload passengers and cargo and move between berths within the port until a “prompt hearing” can be scheduled, at which “the plaintiff shall be required to show why the attachment and garnishment should not be vacated,” according to the order. The ship was scheduled to sail today for a five-day cruise to Yucatan and Cozumel. The case is Kai Stumpf v. Carnival plc, 3:12-cv-00099, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Galveston). Update: The ship was subsequently released following an agreement between the two parties.

Travel Weekly UK reports passengers were called to muster stations after a fire broke out on the ship in Asia today. The blaze in the engine room was put out and there were no reported injuries to passengers, however Associated Press reports five crew members were injured, one seriously. The 716-passenger ship, on a 17-night cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore which departed on Monday, is running on back up power. The vessel is currently between Manila in the Philippines and Borneo. The ship is currently running on generator power until full power can be restored to the engine room. The remainder of the cruise will be canceled. Associated Press subsequently reports that after being adrift for 24 hours, the ship informed the coast guard late Saturday that its power and propulsion had been restored and it was moving slowly toward Sandakan, its next destination after it left Manila Thursday,

Greek Reporter reports 13 people are set to stand trial in connection with the sinking of the ship off Santorini in 2007, after a prosecutor recommended to a Naxos court that they face a series of charges for their part in the accident, which caused two people to drown. Prosecutor Evi Salma recommended to the court that the 13 suspects be tried for breaching the safety of sea transport, manslaughter through negligence, causing sea pollution and breaching international safety regulations. The ship hit a reef off Santorini following a series of mistakes and oversights by the crew. The vessel was only 50 meters from the coast when the accident occurred but should have been at least 285 meters away. Salma said that the reef did not appear on sea charts but the collision could have been avoided if the ship’s sonar and one of its three radars had been working.

From a passenger: The ship was scheduled to stop at Coco Cay, Bahamas, but was unable to due to the wave height and dangers with tendering operations. The ship dropped anchor and then immediately left Coco Kay and continued on to St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and arrived on time.

The Sun-Sentinel reports a number of passengers aboard the ship are experiencing symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. The ship is set to return to Port Everglades tomorrow morning after completing a 10-night Panama Canal itinerary. Officers from the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program are working with Princess on the issue and will be assisting the cruise line to sanitize the ship when it arrives in Fort Lauderdale. Two VSP public health officers will meet the ship and take samples back for testing to help determine the cause of the illness, CDC spokesman Jay Dempsey said. At present, the reported illnesses are not at “outbreak status,” Dempsey said. That status is typically achieved when three percent or more of passengers have reported symptoms of the illness, which include vomiting and diarrhea.

From a passenger: The ship's Western Carribean cruise that left Miami on March 18th had a missed port at Costa Maya on March 21st. They blamed it on high winds and waves. We were given a $10.50 credit for missing a port.

From a passenger: Scheduled to leave Honolulu at 12 midnight. Left after 3am due to engine trouble. Crew scrambled to get excursions adjusted but canceled several as a delay in arrival. Almost 3 hours late arriving to Kauai.

From a passenger: March 10 Enchantment of the Seas, out of Baltimore MD: Still had motor issues, with it's trouble, I guess they didn't put stabilizer's out, was the worst trip down eastern coast, was sick first two days of trip. Altered itinerary, spent 27 hours in port Canaveral where they fixed ship on our dime, had to share Coco Key with another ship, line for lunch was so long we had to miss it or our excursion, last stop in Key West had to go through customs, we were to dock at 2pm and leave at 9pm, some people got a customs time of 5pm, needless to say they had to call security on three people that I heard of. They refunded some people's excursion costs from Coco Key, and rushed customs through, stayed one hour longer in Key West to try and calm everyone down. This was my second cruise, worst ever, don't plan on ever going again thanks to this one. From another passenger: I don’t know if that other writer was on the same ship as us, but the cruise down the coast was very smooth for us and the entire cruise was very nice. We did have a slightly extended stay in Canaveral, but this let us spend a whole day at beautiful Coco Beach, walking the beach, swimming in the surf, watching the surfers, visiting Ron Jon and finding “Marlins” on the pier for some nice coconut shrimp and cold beer. Key West was a late arrival, a slight disappointment, but the time change did allow us to be there for the famous sunset and it was worth it. We also enjoyed Coco Cay very much, we didn’t hit the barbecue line till a little later so maybe that was why we found no great problems with any lines. There were some brief showers that drove most to the dock for tenders back, but we rode it out and in a few minutes the sun returned and we practically had the beach to ourselves, while those who’d fled reportedly had to wait for tenders because another ship was scheduled to leave earlier than us so they took all those passengers first. Makes sense to me, but apparently not to all. And another passsenger writes in response to the second person's account: I just had to write after we read that hilarious "review" of the 3/23 sailing of the Enchantment. We were rolling on the floor laughing at this writer's version of the cruise. It was great, perhaps just a tad too much BS but it was very funny! Must have been a travel agent trying to make gold out of crap. Thanks for the laughs.

Associated Press reports two California men on a gay cruise of the Caribbean were arrested Wednesday in Dominica, where sex between two men is illegal. Police Constable John George said the men were seen having sex on the cruise ship by someone on the dock. The two were later charged with indecent exposure and are scheduled to appear before a magistrate Thursday morning. If found guilty, they could be fined $370 each and face up to six months in jail. The ship carrying about 2,000 passengers departed Puerto Rico on Saturday and arrived in Dominica on Wednesday. It departed for St. Barts without the men, who are being held in a cell at police headquarters in the capital of Roseau. The cruise was organized by Atlantis Events, a Southern California company that specializes in gay travel. President Rich Campbell, who is aboard the cruise, said in a phone interview earlier that he thought the two men would be released. He said he expects the two men to be released on Thursday and that they only face misdemeanor charges. "The guests actions were unfortunate but minor in this case and have no bearing on our overall guest experience," he said via email.UPDATE: The LA Times reports the men pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and said in an interview that the entire experience was "horrible." Retired police officer Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, and his partner, John Robert Hart, 41 both of Palm Springs, were ordered to pay a fine of $4,000. They were arrested Wednesday after someone reportedly saw them naked on the balcony of a cruise ship off the coast of the Caribbean island and called police. "They paid the fine to a judge, who called them rogues and vagabonds. "Me and my partner have been together for 17 years," Mayer said. "We weren't trying to put on a show for people." Mayer said authorities even wanted to have them medically evaluated. "They were going to transport us to a medical facility and have us medically examined to determine if we had engaged in sexual activity," he said. The men were held in jail for 19 hours, and Mayer said the small cement cell they were stuck in was inhumane. "No light, no water, no toilet," he said. "We were taunted all night long. They paraded us around like we were some oddity."

CNN reports the ship collided in deep fog with a container ship off Vietnam, punching a hole in the container ship and knocking passengers off their feet, a passenger told CNN Monday. "No one was hurt on our ship; everyone was certainly shaken up," said passenger Andrew Lock about the incident, which occurred Friday. "When the ship appeared out of the fog, we knew five seconds before to brace for impact," he said. "We hit full force into the side of this container ship." He said a "gaping hole" was punched in the other vessel. The ships scraped against each other after the impact, he said. "It was surreal, to see this very large ship appear literally right in front of us. It was as if we were perfectly lined up to hit it. It was surreal. Bizarre." After the impact, he said, passengers gathered a few of their possessions and headed to the muster stations. "The crew was calm, but the passengers -- some were scared, or even frantic," Lock said. But after about 10 minutes, the captain announced that there was no imminent danger, he said. The ship went on to anchor in Ha Long Bay, as had been planned. "The next day, we went to a nearby port and once we were off the ship we could see how extensive the damage was," Lock said. Silversea Cruises downplayed the incident in its official statement. Here is a YouTube video of the damage. UPDATE: A subsequent CNN story reports "The Vietnamese ship rolled over -- at a 90-degree angle. In fact, we thought it was going to capsize. It then righted itself. And with the forward momentum of our ship, it pushed the Vietnamese ship around, so that it actually came down the side, the length of our ship, scraping along the side as it went. And from that viewpoint, we could see just how much damage had been done to THAT ship, and it was substantial." Cruise liner in collision off Vietnam He said he wasn't aware of any injuries aboard the luxury vessel, which had a hole dug in its bow, but said the other vessel was badly damaged. "We struck the other ship in several places that we could see -- we struck it at the bridge, where they would operate from. We literally crushed the ship inwards. And we also struck the sides of the ship, causing a tear along the side, a vertical tear, quite substantial. And as we passed by the other ship, I personally saw several of their crew members just lying on the deck."

Saipan News reports anticipation and excitement over the arrival of the ship on Saipan (U.S. Commonwealth of the Northen Mariana Islands - CNMI)) turned to anxiety and disappointment Thursday after it called off its planned passenger landing at the Smiling Cove Marina due to high winds and rough seas. CNMI Homeland Security special assistant Marvin K. Seman said their team planned for all contingencies, except for this situation where they had no control over. “I know everybody was looking forward to it but it's just sad that the weather was not in our favor. I just wish Mother Nature was nicer this year,” said Seman. The ship arrived on Saipan waters at 4:45am, anchoring about a mile and a half from the shore at 5:15am but left at 10am, seven hours ahead of schedule. Seman said that Queen Mary 2's visit required 19 months of planning and preparation, including the last and most eventful three to four days needed for site preparations done by over 50 key members of the task force created especially for the ship's visit. He said the Queen Mary 2 task force stayed up until 10pm the night before to secure the Smiling Cove Marina, not only for the ship's passengers and crew members but also for the 18 food and arts and crafts vendors that set up shop in the area as early as 5am yesterday. About 13 local performing groups were also on standby at the marina but they, too, were dismayed at the cancellation. Around 9am, only task force members and one or two vendor staffers were seen at the site to put away their stuff. A food vendor manager who wished to remain anonymous said their staff prepared breakfast menu for 200 persons and brought it to the site as early as 6am. “It's disappointing because it would mean income loss for us,” said the manager. “But it was nature that caused it and nobody could have predicted that. We just have to charge it to experience.”

Global News reports a Canadian tourist from Quebec has died after a snorkeling outing from a cruise ship visiting Dominica. The 61-year-old woman was with friends when she apparently started struggling in the water and then collapsed back on shore. CPR was administered on the scene but she was declared dead Tuesday after arriving at Princess Margaret Hospital.

From a reader: The ship left out of San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 11th, 2012. I heard from family on the ship that they are having electrical issues causing the ship to slow drastically. The ship is already over 7 hours off schedule from its "planned" docking time for St. Maarten. The cruise go-ers have already been told that this will adjust the rest of the cruise schedule for the week. UPDATE March 13:Cruise Critic confirms this report: An issue with the propulsion motor will likely impact the remainder of the ship's current itinerary, according to a statement from Princess Cruises. As a result of reduced speeds caused by the problem, the ship arrived more than four hours late for its scheduled call on St. Maarten on Monday, and it will stay there until the situation is fully evaluated by the line's technical team. Princess has not yet released an updated schedule for the seven-night Southern Caribbean voyage. Update March 13: We are presently at sea en route back to San Juan. Here is the transcript of an announcement and written statement delivered to passengers after setting sail from St. Maarten this evening around 745pm - "As you are aware, we have a technical problem and technicians have been onboard reviewing our port propulsion motor. Late this afternoon they advised that the damage will take a significant amount of time to repair. After careful review and consideration, it has been decided that we will return tonight to San Juan to wait for additional parts and make the necessary repairs. We will arrive tomorrow midday in San Juan and all passengers will be able to stay onboard through Sunday and then resume your plans to return home. For those passengers continuing on through March 18 we will provide you with an update late tomorrow as to the full impact on our next voyage." Passengers were given a full refund. UPDATE: The next two cruises (3/18 and 3/25) have been cancelled. Passengers to receive full refund and 25% discount on next cruises.

From a passenger: This afternoon my wife and I are starting a 7 night Caribbean cruise. As we were boarding at Galveston Texas, we were told that we had to wait and there may be some delay due to a fault on the ship. So we were transferred onto a coach and took a ride into Galveston; after 6 hours doing nothing but waiting in Galveston we were taken back to the ship and then told that a minor fire had broken out in the Windjammer Cafe, which we knew because there was acrid smell of smoke and smoke staining near the pool. This was a big upset but we finally set sail after 7 hour ! With free complementary drinks for the night but the windjammer remained closed. From a different passenger: Bad report --we sailed on time and ate in the windjammer mid afternoon. No fire as we knew the capt. Need to check out your reports. Only fault of a great cruise was one piece of luggage was delivered to the room two hours after the others that arrived before we cruised. NOTE: I wasn't there ... I only report what I am told...

The CDC reports 129 of 3147 passengers (4.10%) and 9 of 1179 crew (0.76%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemiologist boarded the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale on March 4, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 7 day cruise that began February 26 and ended March 4, 2012. UPDATE: The Miami Herald reports there were illnesses on the cruise that followed this one. Followup: St. Helens Reporter reports a couple’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare when they were both struck down with illness while on a week-long luxury cruise. Mr Southworth, 73, who had organised the extra-special trip to mark his wife’s 70th birthday, has since described it as the “holiday from hell”. He said: “Everything was alright until the Wednesday afternoon, when I fell ill and had to skip the evening meal. I was then very ill during the night. “Although I perked up a bit the following afternoon there was no way I could eat and then, on the Friday, I was just staggering around trying to enjoy myself - but all I could do was drink water. “Then, on the Saturday, my wife fell ill, we called the medical centre and were sent tablets and confined to our cabin. “They made special arrangements for us to depart and in the middle of Sunday morning I took ill again. I was so dizzy and disorientated that they offered me a wheelchair.” Mr and Mrs Southworth, who were joined on the cruise last month by six friends, say only two of their group made it through the week unscathed. Mr Southworth: “It was such a shame - it should have been a lovely cruise. We’d saved up for this holiday for quite and it cost us about £1,400. We could have had two good holidays somewhere else for that. “All they said was ‘sorry you didn’t have a good time’, which wasn’t much of a consolation. “My wife was still too ill to go into work on the Tuesday after we got back and I was in no fit state to do anything.”

The UK Press reports a passenger ferry has been involved in a collision with a vessel at the entrance to Belfast Lough. A Stena ferry has docked at its terminal in Belfast. There are no reports of injuries. Police said the collision took place close to the Fairway buoy near Bangor, Co Down. The second vessel remains close to the buoy under the instructions of Belfast Harbour while damage is being assessed. The ferry left Birkenhead on Wednesday morning and was on the final stretch of its sailing to Belfast when the collision took place. There were 51 passengers and 47 crew on board. A spokesman said there were no reports of injuries and everyone on the ferry had safely disembarked in Belfast. Passengers on the ferry recounted the force of the collision and initial fears they might have to abandon the vessel before it was confirmed the ferry could safely complete its journey.

Tampa Bay Times reports a 29-year-old Croatian assistant cruise director was arrested Sunday at the Port of Tampa after tfor allegedly having sexual contact with a 16-year-old female passenger on a cruise and later saving sexually explicit photographs of her on his computer.The man met the 16-year-old victim on a trip that departed Tampa on Jan. 29 and returned Feb. 5, according to an FBI affidavit. The Minnesota resident was traveling with her parents. The ship's internal security team obtained a signed statement in which the crew member admitted to having sexual contact with the victim on a staircase on the ship, right after the cruise stopped at Costa Maya, Mexico. AFter the cruise, he and the victim had email corrspondence. Investigators say he stored about 20 photos of the victim from multiple emails that appear to have been sent from Minnesota while he was at sea. She wore clothes in some but was naked in most. In return, he sent the victim graphic photos of himself and a video of him masturbating in front of her photo. In an interview with FBI agents last week, the victim confirmed the sexual encounter on the ship and admitted to sending photos of herself. She introduced the man to her parents at the beginning of the cruise, the affidavit said, and her father specifically told him that his daughter was 16. A search of the man's hard drive found what appeared to be videos of minors engaging in sexual activity downloaded from the Internet. He has worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines since 2006.

From a passenger: We have just returned today 06.03.12 from an 11 day cruise on Independence of the Seas. We were asked to check in late (15.30), by email. We were left standing in corridors, the check in lounge and even outside for about three hours.They kept apologising for the delay over and over again. While we were on the ship the staff were constantly sanatizing all handrails chairs and tables, the shops were sprayed every night.Each time someone entered the toilet a voice would say"Stop don't forget to wash your hands".When you sat down to dinner then someone would announce that we were on a high state of alert for Norovirus and to please wash your hands.We were handed wipes each time you entered a venue.We were not allowed to put condiments on our food the waiters etc had to do it for you.They even had to put the milk in you coffee and handed you sugar packets with tongs. We felt like lepers and it spoiled the whole holiday. I must say that the crew had to work extra hard but they always had a smile for us, but they must all be shattered.

WPTV reports a woman aboard the Bahamas Celebration ship was reported missing early Wednesday morning after the ship returned from a two-night trip, Celebration Cruise Lines spokesman Glen Ryerson said. The woman was reported missing at 8 a.m. after the ship docked at 7 a.m., according to Ryerson. Ryerson said there are confirmed documents that show the woman boarded in the Bahamas. Her boyfriend shared a cabin with her on board. According to Celebration President Charlie Kinnear, the boyfriend claims he last saw his girlfriend at 1 a.m. in the gift shop before he headed to the inboard casino. The ship was just off the coast of Grand Bahama Island at the time. When he woke up she still hadn't returned. Investigators are not releasing her identity but she's a Canadian resident in her 40s.

Cruise Ship News reports "we can break some exclusive news that has come to us thanks to a few reports, which were received by email and pointed us to a Norovirus outbreak on Independence of the Seas this month. It’s alleged that the Norovirus outbreak happened during the last week, and some cruise passengers that got back to Southampton yesterday state there was an “outbreak of Norovirus during the second week” of the cruise ... While yet to be officially verified it’s alleged that thecrew “pulled out all the stops cleaning everything down“, and officers made sure crew cleaned the lifts, hand rails, tables, chairs, and more with “disinfectant packs on their backs“ ... Other rumors point to a deep clean taking place after they were in port; again this has not been confirmed. Update: We’ve had an email from someone who has family currently on Independence of the Seas and they state that the sail away was delayed, which adds to the possibility of a deep clean yesterday to stop the virus from remaining onboard. From a passenger: We sailed on the Independence voyage 2 Feb 2012 and 3 days into the cruise there was a norovirus outbreak. Letter was issued to cabin to take care. The Windjammer staff wore rubber gloves and carried bottles of disinfectant about, as soon as someone left a table they wiped down all the chairs and table immediately. Also were handing out wipes at the pier when reboarding and at the main dining rooms. Still people do manage to bypass these precautions. Sounds like the Indy has an ongoing problem at the moment.

The Buenos Aires Herald reports provincial authorities stopped a cruise ship flying under the Bermudan flag from docking in Tierra del Fuego on Monday, upping the ante in Argentina's spat with Britain over the Malvinas. The Star Princess was prohibited from docking in the southern Argentine port of Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego province, because Bermuda is an overseas territory of Britain, Argentina's state news agency Telam said on Monday. Britain hopes to share in any Malvinas Islands windfall when oil starts flowing there later this decade. Other media also report P&O's Adonia was also denied docking priveleges (see The Sun).

The BBC reports the ship is adrift in the dark more than 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles, near Alphonse Island. Costa Cruises said in a statement that the fire broke out in the electric generators' room. It did not spread and there were no injuries or casualties. Inspections of the state of the engine room are on-going, the company says. Tugs and "other naval and aerial units" will reach the ship, which has sent out a distress signal, Costa Cruises says. It took the crew a few hours to extinguish the fire. The ship probably needs to be towed to a Seychelles port. There are no electric lights on board the ship as the batteries are being used to keep essential machinery going.
The Italian authorities have directed three merchant ships and two fishing vessels towards the stricken liner; authorities in the Seychelles say they have sent two tug boats, a coastguard ship and an aircraft to the scene. There are 636 passengers and 413 crew on board the Costa Allegra, which left Madagascar on Saturday. It was due to arrive in the Seychelles on Tuesday. UPDATE: France 24 reports passengers on a stricken Italian liner used mineral water to wash and fight sweltering heat Wednesday as the ship was slowly towed to port in the Seychelles.Towed by a French tuna fishing boat and accompanied by coast guard vessel, passengers are spending a third night on the vessel since an engine fire knocked out power on Monday. With no electricity and no air conditioning, the passengers are crowded on decks in baking temperatures. "The bathrooms on the ship have not been working since the fire," Italian coast guard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro told AFP. Emergency supplies, food and electric torches have been airlifted by helicopter onto the vessel. The liner was expected to arrive into port in Mahe, the main island of the Seychelles archipelago, by 0500 GMT on Thursday depending on weather conditions.

MSNBC reports from Galveston that a crew member fell off the ship Saturday night. The ship was off the coast of Galveston when the accident happened at about 10:35 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard were called to rescue the man from the water. But before USCG could arrive the cruise ship's crew had already launched a rescue boat and pulled the man from the water. He was in the water for less than 45 minutes. The cruise line says the man was working on the deck when he slipped over the railing. The Coast Guard said the man is OK.

Gadling reports twenty two cruise passengers were robbed at gunpoint yesterday on a ship-sponsored shore excursion. The incident happened in Puerto Vallarta, when passengers who came ashore were held at gunpoint and were "stripped of cameras, watches and other valuables they had with them," reports Informador. No one was harmed, but calls for increased security went out and the shore excursion, a seemingly harmless nature walk, was canceled pending investigation. "Carnival also apologized to the passengers for the "unfortunate and disturbing event" and said it is working with passengers to reimburse them for lost valuables and assist with lost passports or other forms of identification," said CruiseCritic.

The Telegraph reports a five-year-old girl was among eight bodies found inside the crippled cruise ship. The bodies were found by Italian fire service divers on the fourth deck of the giant ship. The first four bodies were found in the morning, with another four located in the flooded hull later in the day. Aside from the little girl, rescue officials said the dead included a man and a woman. It was not known whether they were passengers or crew members.

The Australian reports a British cruise ship passenger has been arrested in Sydney after he allegedly tried to smuggle 30kg of cocaine into Australia. He was stopped by Customs and Border Protection officers last Friday at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, after a sniffer dog detected the scent of drugs. He was found to be hiding several silver packages inside a wetsuit he was wearing under his clothes, and another 25 packages concealed in three suitcases. Officers from the Australian Federal Police estimate the man was carrying a total of 30kg of cocaine. He has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border protected drug and is due to appear in Sydney Central Local Court on Wednesday. The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $825,000. The arrest follows an international investigation during which US authorities arrested an Australian man and two New Zealanders on board the same ship when it docked in San Francisco on January 25. Around 13kg of cocaine was seized and all three people were charged with offences relating to its possession.

From a passenger: The ship sped back to NYC on February 18th 2012 and arrived at NYC at 3:00AM due to a medical emergency causing the ship services (casino and duty free shop included) to close early at approximately 12:30AM when I came out of the Quest show late Friday night I got on the elevator and a guy pushing that woman got on heading to the medical unit. She is probably in her mid 20's and in good shape but she was way short of breath and in a lot of pain around her heart area. Not good for a young person. I heard thru the grapevine that she was a little better by the time they took her off the ship. Don't know for sure. I hope so.

An onboard source reports ship the is stuck in Balitmore - no propulsion - 8 hours after sailing time still there - seems to be propeller problems - it may be a dry dock job - the casino was opened to allow passengers to learn games and was mobbed and 8 hours later was still mobbed! An assessment team was supposed to arrive at 9:30PM and it would take at least 3 hours for them to deterimine the outcome. Passengers could wakeup in the morning in Baltimore or at sea. This is confirmed on Cruise Critic. UPDATE: It appears the ship left about 24 hours late and is sailing at half speed. The itinerary has been changed (dropped Key West) and it is unclear whether the ship will return to Baltimore or is heading to drydock. It appears it may be the former...UPDATE FROM A READER: WBAL TV, Ch 11 Baltimore, carried a report last night that the ship that left Baltimore late is still having problems operating on one propeller (?). Reports from a couple on board report hitting a storm off of the Carolinas the next day and experiencing heavy rolling to the point where one thought the ship might upset. The ship was running very slowly. The couple disembarked at the first port and took a plane back to Baltimore, fearing for their safety. The pair said that they were “veteran cruisers” but this may be their last.

Globo News and Ultimo Segundo report a 30 year old female crew member (waitress) has died after been hospitalized in serious conndition for a fever and cough -- she was breathing with the help of a ventilator when she died. She had been diagnosed with pneumonia. Five other crew members remain in hospital under observation with the same symptoms. The ship docked at the Port of Santos today. Officials of the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance met the ship and it took six hours for the 2,000 passengers to be cleared to disembark. The company says the next cruise will proceed as normal. UPDATE: The Buenos Aires Herald reports Health Minister Juan Manzur confirmed this morning that the situation on the ship, which lost a crew member last Friday to Influenza B, “was under control” and in a “normal state” after it arrived to Buenos Aires port to be inspected by customs and health authorities today. After speaking with doctors on board the cruise and carrying out a series of controls, the health minister told the press that both passengers and crew members on board the ship were “all clear of risk and that there aren’t any complications.”

From a reader: My sister is on this ship. As of this moment (6:10 PM) departure is delayed. A tanker spilled oil on a great deal of passengers luggage. My sister has yet to receive her luggage. They still haven't done the muster drill. Picture attached. Update: The ship left port about 1:45 am. Some passengers that were notified in the early stages of the evening were given luggage to cover them for the trip. Others were sent to their rooms with their belongings in plastic yellow bags. Passengers had to declare values on what was lost. They are to report to Guest Services today to see what the cruise line will do. Carnival Statement: Feb. 17, 2012 – 9:30 am EST:
Yesterday afternoon at the Port of New Orleans, an oil collection truck that was removing discarded oil from the Carnival Elation experienced a spill on the pier which resulted in the soiling of several pieces of luggage that were in cages waiting to be loaded onto the ship. The spill was limited to the pier and none went into the water.
Impacted guests were notified and Carnival will be providing reimbursement for damaged luggage and belongings. The ship departed New Orleans this morning at 1:40 a.m. and is en route to Cozumel where it is scheduled to call on Saturday

Delayed departure / fuel spill

February 16

Unknown

Cayman Compass News reports a cruise ship passenger was found dead Wednesday afternoon in the Coral Gardens area of North Sound near Stingray City. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers reported that the 56-year-old man was reported unconscious and unresponsive in the water. He was found by people in a boat who were travelling nearby. The boaters lifted the man into their vessel and tried to revive him with no luck. The Marine Unit craft ‘Tornado’ transported the man to the Yacht Club where paramedics transported him to hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival. It was not immediately clear how the man came to be in the waters off Coral Gardens and police said they were still investigating the incident.

Pacific Business News reports that Norwegian Cruise Line (America) agreed to pay $526,602 in back wages to 2,059 employees in Hawaii after a federal labor investigation found that the company had violated minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions for employees on the Pride of America.
The investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor ’s Wage and Hour Division, which covered the period between July 2009 and November 2011, found that NCL paid its employees straight time for its mandatory weekly emergency drills, even if they had worked more than 40 hours in the week.
The investigation also found that because NCL took large meal and lodging credits that some employees were paid less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and that the cruise line failed to record and pay the housekeeping staff for cleaning the cabins between cruises. The cpompany has agreed to bring its pay practices into compliance with the law, the Labor Department said. The company has more than 900 employees on the U.S.-flagged Pride of America at any given time.

The Daily Echo reports a former Cunard cruise ship worker has been charged with a sex attack on a child, police said today. Paul Trotter, 34, is accused of possessing indecent images of children and sexual assault of a child aged under 13 between December 20, 2010 and January 5, 2011. The assault was alleged to have been committed while Trotter was working for Cunard as a supervisor for a children's activity area, Wiltshire Police said. The former Cunard employee was initially arrested on suspicion of making, possessing and distributing of indecent images on August 12 last year. A force spokeswoman said: ''Wiltshire Police are contacting all of the parents they need to speak to in relation to the investigation.

San Francisco Weekly reports federal agents announced today that they seized 13 kilograms, or close to 29 pounds, of cocaine from a cruise ship docked in San Francisco last month. According to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a joint operation among federal agencies and local law-enforcement led to two separate discoveries of a large amount of coke on a cruise liner at Pier 35 on Jan. 25. The ship had arrived from Curacao, according to CBP. The search of the ship was said to be a routine inspection similar to those conducted on all vessels that arrive in San Francisco from foreign countries. Federal agents discovered seven kilos of cocaine in the cabin of Ahmed Rachid, an Australian national, according to CBP. An additional five kilos were discovered in the cabin of New Zealand citizens Tony Wilkinson and Kirstie Harris. All three were arrested.

The Royal Gazette reports in spite of pleas for leniency, two female cruise passengers women were each sentenced to six years in jail yesterday after trying to smuggle drugs into Bermuda. In both cases, lawyers had argued that financial desperation alone drove the pair to try and bring in 2.7kg of cannabis resin aboard the the ship on October 8. Justice Greaves retorted that “crybaby stories should not get them off easy”. The pair were apprehended after US Customs, acting on information received, detained two other women from the ship before it left port at Charleston, South Carolina. The other would-be smugglers had a total of 2.7kg of cannabis resin. US officers determined they were part of a smuggling ring but by the time the two arrested in Bermudal were identified by their associates, the vessel had sailed. According to Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Cindy Clarke, Bermuda law enforcement apprehended the pair in their shared cabin shortly after the ship arrived at King’s Wharf, Dockyard. They had a total of nine packages containing just over four kg of cannabis resin, or hashish, which is normally sold locally in half-gram twists at $50 each. The drugs had a total street value of $406,550. The women had each been offered $5,000 to bring the drugs to Bermuda.

From a passenger: On Monday the 6th of February around 9:15 AM or so, we were docked at Progresso, Mexico. The onboard PA speaker blared “Bravo,Bravo Starboard” 2 times in succession. We didn’t have a clue. A few minutes later, we heard an electric motor whine from coming from below our balcony. I went out to our balcony and looked down and it was lowering a lifeboat to the water. I thought that odd and started looking around. At that point, I saw a body floating in the water lifeless. The boat went out and picked up the body. I don’t know if it was lifeless or unconscious but it was a good 5-10 minutes before they got to the body. Nothing was ever said by any of the crew if it was a practice or what but the body looked real. When we left for our excursion a short time later, there were about 12 crew hanging around the medical area close to where we got off of the ship. Attached is the only picture I took of this event. I have zoomed in very close on the pic to determine if it is a real person or dummy. It looks to me like it is a real person. From a reader: It looks like the rescue dummies we use in the fire service. Note the uniform color of the legs and the fact both legs are straight out, floating. A real person’s leg if unresponsive, would likely hang down into the water. It also looks like the life jacket is strapped to the back, thereby allowing the manikin or dummy to float like it is.

CargoLaw reports the ship was enroute from Sydney to Auckland was caught in a Tasman Low off the Southeast end of the South Island of NZ on Jan 31. Reports claim she was hit by 10 - 11 metre waves and storm force winds that broke glass and balcony dividers and some deck furniture broke their lashings breaking electrical fittings which caused a fire that was put out. No casualties reported.

ABC News Australia reports Queensland police are investigating a brawl involving more than a dozen people. Sixteen men were taken off the ship at Gladstone in central Queensland on Friday morning. About 2,000 passengers were on the second last night of a week-long Pacific cruise when police say a disturbance broke out. It is believed the brawlers were aged in their 20s or 30s and some had been arguing over a female passenger. One passenger suffered minor injuries in the fight which was brought under control by the ship's security. No charges have been laid and Customs officers are also looking into the incident.

The CDC reports 174 of 2809 passengers (6.19%) and 11 of 1236 crew (0.89%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer amd an epidemiologist will board the ship on arrival in Newark on February 10, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. The ship is on a 12 day cruise that began January 28 and ends February 10, 2012.

The CDC reports 95 of 1992 passengers (4.77%) and 12 of 946 crew (1.27%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers will board the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale on February 11, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. The ship is on a 14 day cruise that began January 28 and ends February 11, 2012

Perth Now reports the ship was travelling from Port Louis, Mauritius, to Fremantle, Western Australia when power outages struck on Saturday and again on Tuesday. A spokesman for Carnival - the ship's owner - said the outages were part of routine maintenance. A passenger said he was stuck in a lift for approximately 10 minutes and had to be rescued during the first incident. He said electricity was lost to the ship for about 25 minutes with lights going out briefly and the engine stopping. He added fellow passengers peered over the side of the ship wondering what was going on when the engines turned off. “We were stuck in the middle of the ocean without any power,” he said. He said the second incident occurred at 2am on Tuesday during moderately rough seas and strong winds. The vessel “stopped dead” in the water for up to 10 minutes with the lights and TV going off momentarily and the engine failed to kick back in for up to eight minutes, according to the passenger.

ABC in Orlando reports the ship set sail late after 10 - 20 cabins were flooded while it was docked in Port Canaveral. One account is that a water pipe break Thursday afternoon at the port caused the flooding. However, several passengerse refused to sail because the cleanup crew told them it was raw sewage and they had to bathe immediately after they cleaned the rooms -- those passengers were given a full refund. A Carnival spokesperson said it was not sewage but just water from a swimming pool that was overfilled and caused the burst pipe problem. Passengers who had their cabins flooded and who agreed to continue were moved to other cabins. The problem has since been resolved and the ship left for the Bahamas. The ship was supposed to leave in the afternoon, but didn't set sail until 9:25 p.m. due to the break, which required officials to load additional provisions and fresh water. The ship is sailing on a three-day cruise to Nassau and is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Sunday.

From a passenger: I was on the ship Jan 11-27. There was a fire in the engine room. The captain screamed on the intercom that he ran up and down 9 floors. He scared us all but didn't tell us what to do. After an hour at 6AM he finally said fire was out and all was well.

The Sun Sentinel reports the increased incidence of gastrointestinal illness that occurred during the previous cruise of Crown Princess has reappeared on the current voyage which departed Saturday, February 4, Princess Cruises said in a statement Tuesday. The ship is now returning to Fort Lauderdale where the cruise will end on Thursday, Feb. 9. The ship was scheduled to return on Saturday, Feb. 11. On the current sailing 55 passengers (1.79% out of 3,078) and 56 crew (4.75% of 1,178) have reported gastrointestinal illness. CNN reports the numbers of are 114 passengers and 60 crew members. The Chronicle Telegram reports the shortened cruise stopped at no ports. The company is offerring full refunds to all passengers, assist in arrangements with airline flights and cover any change-flight fees and hotel accommodations if needed. Passengers are also to receive a 25 percent credit good for a future cruise. The CDC reports 288 of 3078 passengers (9.36%) and 68 of 1178 crew (5.77%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness.

From a passenger: We returned Feb 3 from a 30 day Hawaii and S. Pacific Cruise on the Rotterdam. We had a code red situation because of GI for 8 of the 30 days and nearly everyone else came down with the respiratory colds and or severe cough. Luckily my wife and I did not get GI but we both got the severe respiratory illness and my wife is still undergoing medical care. Everyone aboard referred to it as the Rotterdam cough. Have no idea how many passengers and cruise had the GI problem but the last day of the cruise I spoke with 4 people I had not met previously and half had the problem earlier. One said she developed the illness on Day 2 of the cruise. We were not notified of the illness until many many days later. Passengers did not cooperate with the health instructions given by the officers and strolled into the food areas refusing to use the sanitizers. HAL needs to station people of authority at the entrance to these areas and deny admission to people how refuse to sanitize.

From a passenger: I was on a cruise on the ship in late 2011. On the next to the last night of the cruise I woke up to find a strange man standing over my bed at 3:40AM. I screamed for him to get out and he made pretend he thought our suite was his room. I called security immediatly and they came up to have me fill out a report. They told me he could not get into the room unless the door was left unlocked. Although I asked for more information they never told me anything more. They didn't even try to apologize. After the cruise I called them several times and the only thing they told me was that they had a passenger who reported himself as a sleep walker within ten minutes of the reported incident. He claimed to have lost his card to open his door. I feel that they are just trying to bury this and sweep a possible crime under the carpet. Had I not awakened as he leaned over my bed to make sure I was sleeping, I can only imagine what may have taken place. I think that they should have had sufficient time by now to get back to me. I asked for the passenger's name so I could do a crime check on him, which I am sure is much more than RC did. I am very disappointed with their lack of response and I probably will never take another cruise on any line in light of this incident and the current news on the Concordia. I now know more about cruise ship crime and serious incidents than I want to know. I have had great trouble sleeping since this incident and I would like to put it behind me. I would also like others to know just how unsafe they are on Royal Caribbean. I read somewhere that they have a flaw in their doors. I am not sure if that is true, but I would not like to try to find that out by going on another cruise. Luckily, I didn't have a heart attack from the shock of the incident and I am very disappointed with their follow up. I think it was more cover up than follow up. I would like others to know about this danger but I would not like my name published with the information. Since we were in a grand suite, I felt that at least the conscierge would help, but he never even mentioned it on the last day. I guess he was too wrapped up in making sure everyone got a tip envelope with his name on it. It would have been nice if he asked if I was feeling OK the next day. Security never even asked if I was OK they just wanted their report filled out.

There were multiple reports that that shortly after the ship pulled out of Port Canaveral and was halfway down the channel it turned around and went back to the pier. It was met by ambulances and firetrucks. It appears there was some sort of medical emergency.

A poster at Princess Chatter reports someone posted on my Facebook group that the Caribbean has been getting into ports late and is running slowly. Has there been any official report as to what the issue is?

?Propulsion problems?

February 4

Shardon
(Italian ferry)

Inquirer News reports more than 260 people were rescued early today when the ferry ran aground off Italy in a snow storm. The ferry ran aground shortly after setting off from Civitavecchia north of Rome.

From a reader: So I'm lounging by the pavilion pool on deck 12 when the Commodore comes on the tannoy to announce that the Queen Mary 2 pride of Cunard is dead in the ocean having lost all power. We're on emergency generators so hopefully the vacuum toilets will work. Probably a temporary situation but if not you'll see us on the nightly news. We are situated halfway between South Africa and western Australia near nothing. Update one generator is now back up with three more to come on line. Brief thoughts of another Carnival nightmare at sea. Update: all are now up and running . . . And the vacuum toilets are fully functional.

The CDC reports reports 203 of 3139 passengers (6.47%) and 9 of 1192 crew (0.76%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers will board the ship on arrival in New Orleans on February 4, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. Stool specimens will be sent to the CDC lab for testing. The cruise began January 28. The next cruise will embark late given the need for disinfection protocols. UPDATE: 248 of 3139 pax (7.90%); 11 of 1192 crew (0.92%).

Local 10 News reports 140 of 3,013 passengers (4.51%) and 16 of 1,186 crew members (1.54%) have been affected by gastrointestinal illness suspected to be norovirus. The ship is on a seven day cruise that left Ft. Lauderdale 28 January.Update from CDC: 364 pax (11.73%) and 32 crew (2.74%) have reported ill. The CDC reports there were an unknown, but significant number of passenger cases who reported their illness by phone to the medical facility onboard, but were not seen in a timely manner and disembarked the ship.

Local 10 News reports 81 passengers (2.59%) and nine crew members (0.76%) have been affected by gastrointestinal illness suspected to be norovirus. The ship is on a seven day cruise that left Ft. Lauderdale 29 January. Update from MSNBC: 92 pax and 13 crew have reported ill.

Associated Press reports a search is under way in waters near Mexico for a British cruise ship passenger who apparently went overboard. The Royal Caribbean International cruise line said Friday that another passenger saw the 30-year-old man go over the railing from his stateroom on the Allure of the Seas. That was backed up by footage from an onboard video camera. The man’s name was not immediately released. The man went overboard as the ship was sailing to Cozumel, Mexico. The Mexican Navy and Coast Guard are assisting in the search. The Allure of the Seas departed Sunday on a seven-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale. The ship was under charter by Atlantis Events, which specializes in all-gay cruises.

From a passenger: I've been told to expect a late embarkation today in San Diego. Apparently there has been a Norovirus outbreak, and the ship and pier will be sanitized between debark and embark. Shuttle busses will take guests to Seaport Village from the pier and back from 11 - 3pm.

Delayed embarkation / Illness

February 2

Rabaul Queen (ferry)

The New York Times reports rescuers pulled more than 200 survivors from the ocean on Thursday asships and aircraft searched for more after a ferry sank off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The fate of scores of others aboard the ferry was unknown as evening approached. Media reports estimated that 300 to 350 people were aboard the ferry when it sank early on Thursday about 10 miles off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Nearby commercial ships rescued 238 people from the sea. The ferry sank between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time, Captain Rahman said, as it was traveling from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the town of Lae on the main island. The ferry sent a distress signal that was received in Australia and relayed to the maritime authority in Papua New Guinea. The ship has a capacity of 300 passengers, but Captain Rahman said he did not know how many were aboard. The cause of the accident was not known, he said.

CBS News reports crime scene techs were sent to Port Everglades to investigate the death of woman on the ship. Since the woman died in international waters, the investigation will be in the jurisdiction of federal authorities. The 47-year old woman died Monday night when she missed a step and fell down a flight of stairs, a cruise line spokeswoman said. The ship was returning from a four night cruise. Foul play is not suspected.

From a passenger: On Friday, 20 January 2012: Just as a parade was due to begin in the Royal Promenade, the alarm was sounded and a voice came over the ships tannoy giving a code then explaining "Cafe Promenade, the bar is on fire". After a moment or two everything seemed to carry on as normal and the ship docked in Southampton two days later.

A poster at Cruise Critic writes: Received an e-mail posted at 8:55am from Carnival. The message stated that she "experienced a technical overnight with the starboard Azipod" and would arrive at 11:00am. We are at a hotel that provides shuttle service to the port. The shuttle driver reported that the Legend was arriving as he pulled up to the port at 10:05am. Carnival is moving check-in to 2:30 to 6:00pm with estimated departure at 8:00pm. They are also posting a $15 per person OBC to cover lunch expenses.

ABC News reports there is an ongoing strike aboard the ship, which is docked in San Francisco this weekend. Some 40 waiters walked off their jobs; they were angry at being paid in dollars instead of the Euros they were promised in their contracts, and other working conditions aboard the ship. "Sue this company, because they are taking lots of money from us, not only for the salary, even the food they give us is for a pig or dog," waiter Eduardo Garcia told ABC7. Costa North America, says it is trying to resolve the issue.

MSNBC reports authorities are investigating the death of a passenger who fell from an upper deck to a lower deck while the cruise ship was docked in the Bahamas. The 26-year-old victim, whose identity was not released, fell from one of the upper levels of the ship's atrium to the lobby level late Friday night. Because of the delay due to the investigation a scheduled visit to Freeport was canceled. The shipwas sailing on a five-day Bahamas cruise that departed Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday and is scheduled to return to Charleston on Monday.

A pssenger reports: My wife and I just returned from a 10-day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Dawn and due to one or more kitchen staff falling ill, the buffet lines were no longer “self serve.” This led to some very interesting exchanges between dining guests and the staff. Also, when we disembarked on January 25th, a passenger was taken away by ambulance.

ABC News reports a tourist bus collided with a parked vehicle in the U.S. Virgin Islands, injuring 13 cruise ship passengers after it went down an embankment. One female passenger was hospitalized for a hip fracture while 12 others were released after being treated for minor injuries. The tourists had been participating in the "Best of St. Thomas and Shopping" excursion. Police spokeswoman Melody Rames said the group was aboard an open-air "safari bus" when the accident occurred on a steep road near the island's scenic Beacon Point. She said it was not yet clear what caused the accident. The ship had had docked in St. Thomas Friday as part of a seven-night cruise.

The Daily News (South Africa) reports the ship, expected to arrive in Durban on Saturday morning, would now only arrive on Sunday at about 6AM. The delay is the result of “terrible” high winds in Cape Town. And it is not known how long the ship will be in Durban because that too will depend on weather conditions and Cyclone Funso presently off Mozambique.

Travel Blackboard reports the ship has been forced to extend its current cruise as a result of a medical emergency, which has lead to the delayed departureof the ship's next sailing. The ship will now arrive in its Bayonne, New Jersey, homeport on Saturday, 28 January, one day after its originally scheduled date. The ship, which is equipped with a helipad, has re-charted a course for San Juan, Puerto Rico, the closest port of call, A helicopter will meet the ship when it gets within 70 miles of San Juan. Additional information on the revised itinerary will be provided to passengers on Saturday at embarkation. Passengers scheduled to depart Friday are being asked not arrive at the port until 2pm Saturday.

The CDC reports reports 142 of 1742 passengers (8.24%) and 8 of 824 crew (0.97%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemiologist will board the ship on arrival in San Francisco on January 25, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluated the outbreak and response activities. Stool specimens will be sent to the CDC lab for testing. The cruise began January 4 and ends January 26.

Cruise Critic reportsShipyard delays caused by striking workers have scuttled the April 24 maiden voyage of Oceania's new Riviera. Instead, the 1,250-passenger ship will launch on May 16. Genoa-based Fincantieri notified the line last week about the delays. "We know that ... travelers are anxious to welcome Riviera and we regret that labor strikes have caused this delay," Giuseppe Bono, the shipyard's CEO, said in a statement. Two cruises are affected -- a 12-night Athens-to-Istanbul run and a 10-night Istanbul-to-Venice sojourn. Passengers on those voyages can rebook on another cruise and receive a future cruise credit that will range from $250 to $1,000 per guest, depending on the cabin category. Full refunds will be offered to those who don't want to rebook. An Oceania spokesman told Cruise Critic that the line is also assisting travelers with airline change fees. The new inaugural is a 10-night "Pearls of the Aegean" cruise, which includes an overnight aboard ship in Venice before visiting Dubrovnik, Corfu and Crete, among other ports.

Cruise Critic reports
dense fog in the port of Galveston has caused delays for two Carnival cruise ships this weekend.
Carnival Triumph's departure from the Texas port was delayed by several hours on Saturday, however the ship is still sailing its five-night Western Caribbean cruise as scheduled and no itinerary changes were necessary.
Because the fog has not yet lifted, the port is now closed and will remain so until conditions improve. Carnival has informed us that Carnival Magic's arrival will be delayed until the port is reopened. (Update: 1:10 p.m. EST, Galveston's port has reopened and Carnival Magic has arrived. The ship is expected to depart later this afternoon. No itinerary changes have been made.) From a passenger: The Carnival Magic's departure scheduled for 4pm Jan 22nd was postponed to 8pm, but dense fog prevented the departure at that time. At 3am on the 23rd the ship was able to leave. Captain made up about 9 hours of the 11 hour delay so the first stop in Montego bay Jamaica was from 11-7 instead of the originally planned 9-6.

The Daily Mail reports A man who has worked on two of the world’s most luxurious cruise liners is being investigated by police over allegations he indecently assaulted child passengers. It is claimed the crew member carried out the sexual assaults over the past five years on Cunard’s flagship the Queen Mary 2 and its sister vessel Queen Elizabeth. Detectives started the investigation after a tip-off thought to be from the parents of one of the children involved, all of whom live in the UK. Police in Wiltshire, where the unnamed man lives, have contacted parents in various parts of the UK whom they want to interview. Nobody has been arrested or charged over the allegations. But police sources confirmed that the ex-cruise worker – who left the company before the police probe began six months ago – has been interviewed by Wiltshire CID. Detectives are understood to have examined photographic and computer equipment at the man’s home. The investigation, which began last summer, has taken so long because of the delicate nature of the allegations and the fact they involve young children.

The Herald Sun reports an Australian cruise liner has turned back during a Pacific Islands cruise after a passenger went missing. A spokesman for P&O Cruises confirmed the Pacific Jewel had turned back after leaving Lifou, New Caledonia after an elderly woman was reported missing last night. “I can confirm the Pacific Jewel is currently searching for a female passenger reported missing last night,” the spokesman said. “A complete search of the ship was conducted but she was not found. “A review of all CCTV footage was conducted including footage of a balcony area and it became apparent a passenger had gone overboard,” he said. The spokesman said the ship was on day eight of a Pacific Islands cruise and was currently searching for the woman in the water between Lifou and Noumea. He confirmed the woman’s family was on board the ship.

MSNBC reports Princess Cruises said Monday that it is surprised and disappointed that the Falkland Islands government turned away the ship because a small number of people on board have stomach flu. Falklands government spokesman Darren Christie said it had to deny entry to the ship Saturday because some passengers had contagious norovirus, which the islands are ill-equipped to handle. The decision was made by the Falklands' chief medical officer in consultation with a microbiologist in Britain, Christie said. "An outbreak in the Falkland Islands would put enormous pressure on our limited medical resources, and jeopardize other scheduled cruise visits," his statement said. The cruise line reports 74 passengers and crew were reportedly ill. The ship had planned to dock in Port Stanley in the middle of its 14-day South America cruise from Valparaiso, Chile, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The ship's next port of call is Tuesday in Buenos Aires, followed by Montevideo, Uruguay. The cruise ends Jan. 21.

From a passenger: On Sunday, January 8th I was suddenly awaken by the ship listing to the port side, in the middle of the Carribean Ocean, with no land to be seen. The cruise director came over the loud speaker and said they were having a technical issue and not to worry. I have been on many cruises, all Carnival, and when your belongings start sliding off higher ground and glasses and dishes start smashing on the floor, there is definitely something wrong. I have never been so scared in my life thinking the ship was going over. From another passenger: We (14 of us) just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Liberty. First day at sea at approximately 8:25 am we had an "incident' in which the boat took a sharp turn and listed enough that items, such as glasses, flew off the desk in the rooms shattering, plates and glasses slid off the tables in the dining room breaking and spilling and the pools lost lots of water. That water flooded the stairwells and flowed into the hallways. Very scary. However, does not even compare to what happened to the Costa Concordia! Liberty's comments: We had a technical problem. Rumor has it that a problem with the computer told the ship to "avoid a crash" causing it to turn sharply which caused the tipping. And from another: I was on the third floor outside of the dining room when the ship severely listed. Water poured over the windows, glasses and dishes slid off tables in the dining room, the waiter said we'd have to wait longer for our food as what they were cooking was now on the floor and the engineer workers came out of a maintenance door and stood in the hall by us with puzzled looks. When I returned to my room the closet door was open, life jackets from the top shelf were on the floor and everything on the desk...wine bottle and glasses were on the floor...amazingly not broken. There were people who fell out of the shower and one person said she was in bed with her feet higher than her head. It was frightening and for the rest of the cruise you were on edge Everytime the ship rocked.

There are many media reports, details still emerging that the ship struck a rock, took on water, listed 20 degrees, and subsequently went on its side and partially submerged off the Italian Tuscan coast in the Mediterranean. As of January 15th, six people (5 pax, 1 crew) were confirmed dead from among the 4200 passengers and crew. The ship had embarked on a seven day cruise, leaving from Civitavecchia several hours before the accident occured. Evacuation of the ship was disorganized; the Captain has been charged with manslaughter, in part because he had left the ship before all passengers and crew had been cleared from the vessel. As of January 16th, 15 persons remain missing and details continue to be released. Links to accurate information will be posted in due time.UPDATE January 17: The death toll is now 11 and 28 people remain missing (24 pax, 4 crew). January 28: The death toll has been raised to 17; 16 passengers and crew remain missing. The final death toll is put at 32.

The Baltimore Sun reports a 25-year-old Royal Caribbean employee has been indicted on charges of sex abuse of a minor after authorities say he had sex with a teenage girl aboard a cruise ship out of Baltimore, records show. According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Fabian Palmer befriended the 14-year-old girl and her family during a cruise that departed from Maryland on Dec. 17. On Dec. 23, the victim told authorities, she was alone on the deck of the ship and encountered Palmer, who took her into a men's locker room and began having sex with her. He stopped when another employee knocked on the door, she said. Video cameras captured "the likeness of Palmer," the victim, and the second employee outside the locker room around the same time that the victim said the abuse occurred, records show. Palmer was interviewed by Royal Caribbean employees and admitted having sex with the girl, but said he believed she was 16, records show. He was indicted on one count of sex abuse of a minor on Jan. 11. See also the Daily Mail. According to the Jamaica Star it is reported that Palmer first befriended the girl and her family before allegedly raping her and only stopped when another employee knocked on the locker room door. The girl was reportedly on holiday with her family at the time, and the incident happened just days before Christmas. She told authorities that the encounter with Palmer started when she was alone on the deck. He took her inside a men's locker room and started having sex with her. She added that another employee knocked on the door and he stopped.

The Examiner reports more than 200 persons have filed a 'class action type' lawsuit against a cruise line because of problems with odors and poor hygiene when they sailed two years ago. British based Thomson Cruises experienced problems on their flagship, the Dream, and passengers that sailed between May and October, 2010 have filed the suit. The Dream is a 55,000 ton, 1,506 passenger ship that Thomson purchased from Costa Cruises. There were reports of numerous problems on board the ship in it's early days of operation, including plumbing problems. According to a British newspaper, 'This is Staffordshire', complaints included 'toilets blocked and overflowing, food was undercooked and reused, and air conditioning units were often broken'. Another couple claimed they might have become sick because of the trip.

Cruise News Daily reports a crew member witnessed a 25-year-old male crew member jumping overboard this morning at 5:45am when the ship was sailing in the Bahamas toward its scheduled call at Nassau. Video surveillance recordings later confirmed the man going overboard. The incident was immediately reported, and the ship turned and began a search. All appropriate authorities were notified, including the Bahamian government. Three other cruise ships in the area joined the search. They were Carnival Sensation, Disney Dream and Norwegian Jewel. A US Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter was also dispatched from a US Navy base in the Bahamas to assist at the request of Bahamian authorities. At 9am, the Bahamian Coast Guard released the cruise ships from the search and they continued on their way. The Bahamian Coast Guard and US Coast Guard are continuing their search.

The Bahamas Weekly reports that the ship ran aground at Port Lucaya near Freeport, Bahamas. The ship waited for the tide to get high at 18:00, she was pulled off with 4 tugs and a 5th tug standing by. At 20:00hrs she was free and continued on her journey at 19.5 kts to Little Salvador.

BBC reports workers at a Cornish shipyard have been given four days to complete emergency repairs on the ship. The Southampton-based Adonia is due to arrive at Falmouth Docks over the weekend but needs to sail next Friday on a an 87-night world cruise on 13 January. One of the directors for A&P Falmouth, Peter Childs, said it would be a 24-hour-a-day job to complete the work. Though the ship is the newest in the P&O fleet, it was built in 2001 as Renaissance Cruises' R8. After Renaissance ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in late 2001, the vessel was seized by creditors and laid up in Marseille, France. In 2003, the vessel re-entered operation, this time as the sole cruise ship in Swan Hellenic's fleet. The vessel was named Minerva II. On 7 April 2007, the Minerva II completed her final voyage with Swan Hellenic and was transferred by the parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc, to Princess Cruises. She was renamed Royal Princess and entered into service for Princess in April 2007. On 18 June 2009, fire broke out in her engine room, disabling the ship, while on a 12-day Holy Land voyage and just left Port Said, Egypt. She waited to dock in Port Said for an assessment of the damage. On 9 December 2009, it was announced that Royal Princess was to transfer to the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship entered service with the company on 21 May 2011, and was renamed Adonia.

From a passenger: At 3AM (5th) the starboard engine drive shaft broke on leaving Savanah. Returned to port where the problem was determined. Left port on the 5th with blessing of the CG to cruise with all passengers on board. On one engine cruised to Brunswick, GA where the CG withdrew its approval to continue with the passengers. Spent the 6th in port terminating the cruise. On the 7th hauled everyone to the airport. Ship supposedly left at 8:01 for dry dock in Jacksonville. No one hurt, just required to accept a different schedule than planned. Lesson: when cruising think flexible. Further: I believe that it was the last cruise of the season as there were several passengers that had boarded at Fernandino for the run to Charleston where we boarded. I heard that it was headed for dry dock in Jacksonville for 'rountine' maintenance. The propellor shaft break down gave them more reason.
The consequence was that several stops were eliminated, some shore trips became free and we were taken to Jacksonville airport free of charge (had been told that was a $35.00 fee per person).
The CG took an active part in the crisis management and were very present during the inspection while tied up in Savanah. They apparently called the shots after we reached Brunswick.

The CDC reports reports 56 of 1255 passengers (4.46%) and 6 of 573 crew (1.05%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and an epidemiologist boarded the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on January 2, 2012 to conduct targeted environmental health and epidemiologic assessments and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. Ship crew conducted intensified cleaning and disinfection of staterooms occupied by those who reported their GI illness to the infirmary. Stool specimens were sent to the CDC lab for testing. The ship is on a 10 day cruise ending January 2nd. From a passenger: Two or three days into the voyage, the Captain came on the PA to announce the problem. He said it came from European passengers. They closed buffet lines and the crew had to serve you; they removed salt/pepper shakers from the dining room; they took rolls away and served bread at dinner with tongs, and closed the hot tub. In addition, in the evenings, we saw our cabin steward and assistant washing down all of the cabin corridors (even the ceiling) with disinfectant. In addition, when passengers became ill, they were confined to their cabin and the stewards were not allowed to clean. When "quarantine" was over, crew members with masks went to the "contaminated" cabins and cleaned under supervision. The Captain announced the numbers ill and daily progress against the illness. The largest number announced was about 25. We had friends on the next voyage and learned that embarkation was delayed as they continued to try to rid the ship of the GI virus. HAL also had people stationed at each entrance to the dining areas providing hand sanitizer to all passengers to try to control the outbreak.

The Orlando Sentinel reports a teenager said she was raped by two passengers while aboard, lured from a teen dance club to a private room in the wee hours of the morning. A teenage boy and a young man were arrested at Port Everglades on Tuesday. Both live in Brazil, but are being held in Broward. The teen and her family, who live in Iowa, set sail from Fort Lauderdale on Christmas for a 10-day cruise. The teen told authorities that on the last night aboard she'd gone to a teen club called Fuel, and at about 1:45 a.m. was invited to a party by a 15-year-old boy. She said she thought she'd be meeting friends in his private room, but said that when she got inside, another man was present, and the two would not allow her to leave. The 15-year-old said she told them she had a curfew and tried to leave, but said both males raped her. She reported it immediately to ship officials, according to arrest documents. Update June 15: The Sun Sentinel reports the older of the two men pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery in the rape of a 15-year-old girl on the last day of a holiday cruise. Broward Circuit Judge Matthew Destry sentenced Luiz Scavone, 20, to a year in Broward County jail and declared him a sexual offender. Federal officials were expected to arrange Scavone's deportation to Brazil after he serves his jail sentence, according to his attorney, David Bogenschutz.

The Daily Mirror reports twenty nine passengers along with eight members of staff, have been isolated in their cabins and treated by medical staff. The ship, carrying 738 holidaymakers and 360 crew, is due to return to Tilbury docks, London, this morning after the cruise to Tenerife, which left on December 20. One passenger on board, who did not want to be named, said the festive trip had turned into a nightmare. She said: “There are bags marked human waste everywhere and staff are wearing masks. “It is like something out of a film. They have closed the coffee stations but the bar is still open. But all the public toilets have been shut and we have been told to use our own in our cabins. "But our cabin is miles away from anywhere. The trip has been a complete disaster.” Tour operator Cruise & Maritime confirmed that a small number of passengers had fallen ill with the norovirus. The ship will be disinfected today before setting off on another cruise tonight and passengers on the new trip will be told what has happened.

The Otago Daily Times reports poor weather across the Tasman resulted in ship arriving at Port Chalmers shortly before 4pm- more than eight hours after its expected arrival. Taieri Gorge Railway chief executive Murray Bond said while the tourism operator had received updated reports of a possible late arrival, the late start resulted in the cancellation of the cruise ship service. "We have lost 400 customers and a considerable amount of money. We lose tens of thousands of dollars every time this happens." In addition to changing staffing numbers on a statutory holiday, "we also chucked 280 meals into the skip". "We are not very happy, but the weather has beaten us." Mr Bond said it was the 13th time in two years where cruise ships into Dunedin had been late or cancelled, and "it is getting to be an epidemic". "Dunedin has really suffered over the last two seasons with cancellations or late arrivals and has suffered more than any other city in New Zealand." Mr Bond acknowledged the city was often the first port of call for cruise ships, but questioned why other cities were not dropped off the itinerary if time needed to be made up.The ship lect at 8PM for Christchurch

Anguilla News reports the cruise ship's planned arrival to Sandy Ground Anguilla on "Old Year's Day" - New Year's Eve, 2011 would have added to what appears
to have been a very successful holiday season for the tourism industry
on the island. The anticipated visit however did not materialise, due,
according to tourism officials, to heavy swells. Hopes are now for a
successful port stop at the end of January.